The Weeping God
by Atlantagate
Summary: A routine mission goes terribly wrong when Daniel is injured & lost. As the rest of the SG-1 searches for him, they are captured by a ruthless enemy bent on their destruction. Can Daniel find a way to help them before it’s too late? CHAPTER 12 UP!
1. Chapter 1

The Weeping God

The mission to P3R-929 had gone sour almost as soon as they set foot on the rocky, red terrain. The Malp had indicated that the weather was sunny and warm and that there were no life signs in the immediate vicinity. As usual the Malp was wrong, it was partly cloudy and windy.

Despite the fact that the sun shone, the air had a slightly uncomfortable chill to it. And as usual the immediate vicinity was not uninhabited. They were roughly a quarter mile away from the gate when they were attacked. By the time SG1 realized what was happening the natives had circled round their flank effectively cutting them off from the gate.

An hour earlier, Daniel had wandered away from their group to investigate a small outcropping of 'rocks' just NE of their position. Daniel claimed it was the ruins of some sort of ancient structure that reminded him of Aztec architecture.

Initially, Teal'c had accompanied him to the pile of 'rocks' leaving O'Neill with Carter as she prepared to collect and catalog soil samples about 50 yards away.

"Teal'c this is amazing!" Daniel spoke in his quick manner when he tried to explain the importance of a find. "This seems to predate the Aztec civilization on earth by several hundred years..." his voice trailed off as he scribbled furiously in his field journal.

"Teal'c," O'Neill's voice crackled loud over the 2-way.

"O'Neill," Teal'c intoned in his dry, calm way.

"Hey, buddy can you help us down here for a minute, Carter found something. We need your help."

"Very well, O'Neill. Daniel Jackson –"he was cut off by Daniel.

"I heard T, I'll be alright," Daniel said without looking up. He was hunched over his writings mumbling to himself, intent on his own discovery. Teal'c wordlessly moved to rejoin O'Neill and Carter below the outcropping.

Alone now at his work of gently dusting off intricately detailed blocks of stone Daniel stopped. Lifting his head he gazed around him. Something wasn't quite right. He frowned. All along as he was working he could hear faint sounds of the planet around him. But now everything was deathly still. Even the wind has stopped.

'_Like the calm before the storm'_ he mused coming up on one knee and looking in the direction he knew the others to be. He just barely saw the tip of Jack's cap as he walked the perimeter where Teal'c and Sam must have been busy with something on the ground.

"Jack?", Daniel called over the 2-way in a wary voice.

"Daniel."

"Jack…."

"Daniel." Jack waited another beat. "Were you just calling me to hear yourself talk or did you want something."

Impatiently, Daniel spoke through clenched teeth, the hairs on the back of his neck now standing up as if there was a tinge of something electric in the air. "Something's not right."

"What do you mean?" Jack was now alert, giving silent hand signals to Carter and Teal'c to take up defensive positions.

"It's too still-"

"-like the calm before the storm," Jack finished.

_How does he do that, he seems to read my mind sometimes, _Daniel thought. Shaking his head he looked back over to the southwest of their position towards the Stargate. His archaeological finds forgotten now, Daniel squinted against the sun shining high in the alien sky.

What was that? The sunlight glinted blindingly off of something metal. There was movement beyond that stand of trees- - "Jack! Behind you--" He never finished because at that moment a deafening roar blasted through the eerie silence as weapons fire erupted.

O'Neill, Teal'c and Carter dove for what cover they could and returned rapid fire. A quick assessment of the situation told O'Neill that they were cut off from the gate by ten, maybe fifteen hostiles. From the looks of it they were Jaffa with staff weapons. Was this a carefully laid ambush? _How had this happened? The Malp said no lifeforms, for crying out loud!_

"Daniel! Get to the gate if you can," Jack bellowed over the din of noise into the 2-way, "Tell Hammond to send reinforcements!" Then switching off his radio he tried to think of any tactical advantage they might have. _Besides he didn't have time to argue with Daniel. _

Jack, Carter and Teal'c each had 6 units of C4 each. Besides hand grenades. There was a good chance that they could hold their own until Daniel returned with the cavalry. "Carter! You see any way outta here?"

"No sir! They've surrounded us on three sides! The only way to go is up – back above us to Daniel's position! But there's no substantial cover from here to there."

She was right, there were no defendable positions from the rocky plateau where they were pinned down to the ancient building 50 yards above them where Daniel had taken refuge. They would be sitting ducks.

"O'Neill – These Jaffa wear a symbol I have not seen before. They most probably are in the service of a new system lord. One that the Tauri have not as yet encountered."

"Teal'c get to the point" Jack, hissed! Teal'c simply raised an eyebrow.

"They would not be familiar with the tactics and weaponry of the Tauri. I believe they could be rendered momentarily confused by a coordinated volley of grenades and C4 charges. But only for a few seconds."

"It may work, sir! It could be enough to buy us time to reach the structure. We could defend ourselves easily from there." Carter ducked as a staff blast disintegrated rock above them, raining small shards upon them. While they had been speaking the Jaffa had been slowly advancing closer to them. "Whatever we're gonna do, sir, we have to do it now!" Carter shouted.

"Jack! Jack! I can't leave you guys! Come in! Jack!" It was no use – he had switched off his radio_. Probably to stop me from arguing with him about leaving! How does he do that? _Jack could read Daniel as easily as Daniel could read Goa'uld symbols.The truth was, Jack was probably right. Their only chance was for one of them to get to the gate and send for reinforcements.

Below him, Daniel could see the now obvious armored Jaffa fanning out on the hillside below coming dangerously close to his friends. But they seemed to be holding their own – for now.

Frustrated, Daniel settled back out of sight against the ancient structure to try to think of how to get himself back to the gate and help his teammates. As he leaned back heavily against the flat stone wall his ears registered a barely audible click. With a short gasp he awkwardly plunged into the opening behind the wall which quickly closed itself up again, and Daniel Jackson was gone!

He was falling. For how long he couldn't be sure. _This can't be good, he dully reasoned. The longer it takes to reach the ground -_ Suddenly he could feel himself spinning, bouncing off of solid stone.

With a sickening thud he pitched through the darkness against another stone wall, the breath knocked out of him. It took several long minutes for him to regain his breath again. Finally as his breathing eased slightly, Daniel opened his eyes. It was pitch black here, wherever here was.

He started to get up and immediately regretted the move. Apparently his shoulder had dislocated itself somewhere along the way down. The pain was excruciating. In the darkness he saw stars of pain through tightly closed eyelids. Again his breathing came rapidly and he thought he was going to pass out. _No, _he gasped to himself_, I've got to get help! _

Willing himself to stay focused, Daniel propped himself up against the wall and with his uninjured arm searched the front of his pack. He had learned a long time ago to pack the painkillers in the _front_ of his pack for easy access.

Afraid to take anything stronger than Tylenol, Daniel saved the morphine for later. Right now he needed a clear head to find a way out. Quickly downing four pills, he shakily made it to his feet and thought about the morphine again. _I can do this_, he thought.

The sounds of the battle outside had disappeared and Daniel could faintly make out the outline of stone steps that he had the misfortune of falling down. _Probably a good 30 feet he decided,_ the last twelve of those feet crumbling away._ It's a wonder I didn't break my neck. No way am I getting back up that way_.

Using his flashlight Daniel determined that he had fallen into a deep underground cavern. Probably a natural occurrence, but someone had added to it by extending a series of manmade tunnels leading off to, as of yet, unknown destinations. Shining his light down several of them didn't help because they were too long to determine how far they went or where they ended.

Deciding that the only way to find out was to pick one and follow it, Daniel chose the one heading roughly downhill and he hoped, back towards his friends. Moving a little unsteadily he made his way as quickly as possible through the tunnel.

_Maybe there's another secret entrance somewhere near the Stargate,_ he reasoned. _Here goes nothing_.

"GO!" O'Neill screamed at Carter and Teal'c, taking up their rear. The ploy had worked, now they only had seconds to carry out the rest of the plan to get to the structure before the Jaffa recovered. Near as he could count they had taken out four or five, that left about eight hostiles to deal with. Not bad odds, he thought. We can take 'em.

As he made his way up the rocky terrain covering their six he wondered if Daniel had made any progress.

"Daniel Jackson is not here O'Neill."

"What?" O'Neill briefly turned his head to look at Teal'c. "He probably found a way to the gate." _Good that meant reinforcements_.

"I don't think so, sir!" Carter said pointing to something on the ground. "Something must have happened. His glasses." That wasn't a good sign. Daniel wouldn't go anywhere without his glasses. Mainly because he couldn't see without them. Not very well anyway.

"O'Neill. Something has indeed occurred here." Jack could see lines of concern etched on the Jaffa's brow. O'Neill winced and his belly did a back flip. _Aw, Daniel! Where are you?_

Daniel could feel himself getting weaker by the minute_. Probably going into shock_, he thought. _Gotta keep it together just a little while longer_, he lied to himself. _Just until I get to the end of the tunnel then I can rest up a bit. _

Stumbling suddenly Daniel fell hard on the rough earthen floor. Unable to brace himself fully his head struck hard against the rocky surface of the cavern. Crying out in pain and anger at himself for losing his footing he put out his good hand against the wall and felt something that made his blood run cold.

Daniel jerked back reflexively against the tunnel, forgetting his injured shoulder momentarily. He hastened to shine his light on the object. A leg! Not just a leg a whole body! As he shone the light upward at the figure he realized it wasn't moving.

From his vantage point on the floor Daniel could see that it was a very impressive statue of a man. A warrior from the way he seemed to be dressed. The man/statue was human in appearance. The hair was long and dark, the skin well tanned, and the body muscular although stiff to the touch.

The attired figure reminded the archaeologist of Earth's ancient Aztec people. So this definitely was a Goa'uld inhabited planet at one time. How else could the people have arrived here? He studied the figure carefully, the face was kind, almost sad. It definitely wasn't a mummy. It was too well preserved for that. They had visited other planets before where local works of art had seemed very lifelike indeed.

The man was young, Daniel thought, probably in his early 30's. It looked so real - had felt real when he touched it. Could this be a real person in some kind of suspended animation? Surely not, he reasoned. For that you would need sophisticated machinery, a power source, a capsule/container of some sort to hold the body and protect

it from the environment. There were no such things here. Only this very lifelike statue partially hidden in the tunnel wall.

Grunting loudly, Daniel hauled himself up to a standing position. He had wasted enough time. He needed to find a way to the gate. Dizziness and nausea assaulted him as his injured shoulder demanded his full attention. Not to mention that spill he took a moment ago had his head throbbing in time with his shoulder. He took a faltering step.

_I've been in worse situations before,_ Daniel thought, _I just have to keep going. There's got to be another way out of here._

Several yards down, Daniel came to a dead end. "No! This can't be it!" he cried out desperately, fighting off another wave of dizziness. Daniel stretched his hand out over the surface of the wall searching for any hidden levers.

Pressing and pulling on the rugged surface of the wall he suddenly realized he was drenched in sweat. He also hadn't noticed that the air was much thinner now that he was further back in the cavern.

Dropping to his knees, he was only dimly aware of strong arms cradling him and guiding him gently to the ground as his world completely blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: Special thanks to Maddy Lake Deep for all your encouragement and gentle prodding to finally get this story off my laptop and onto the net! I couldn't have done it without you and your great editing. Everyone, please R&R, if you like it, I will continue! **_

**_Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I sure love 'em!_**

_Several yards down, Daniel came to a dead end. "No! This can't be it!" he cried out desperately, fighting off another wave of dizziness. Daniel stretched his hand out over the surface of the wall searching for any hidden levers. _

_Pressing and pulling on the rugged surface of the wall he suddenly realized he was drenched in sweat. He also hadn't noticed that the air was much thinner now that he was further back in the cavern._

_Dropping to his knees, he was only dimly aware of strong arms cradling him and guiding him gently to the ground as his world completely blacked out._

**The Weeping God**

By Atlantagate

Chapter 2

"NOW!", the colonel cried to his second-in-command. Carter obeyed instantly setting off the C4 charges they left buried out of sight at their last position. The Jaffa warriors, completely caught unaware by the explosions were hurled into the air.

The remaining three warriors turned tail and retreated downhill back toward the Stargate. No doubt to get reinforcements. SG1 had to act quickly to make their position more defendable before the enemy returned.

A frustrated Jack O'Neill looked around, searching for the missing archaeologist.

"Daniel! Where are you?" Jack growled under his breath.

Teal'c tried to raise him on the radio to no avail.

"He can't be out of range, sir," noted Sam. "We're only about a quarter mile from the gate, if that. You can even see the top of it from here. There aren't enough trees to be causing interference. Either our signals are being blocked, which may be likely given the fact that the Jaffa are here. Or ..," she hesitated.

"Or?" O'Neill repeated expectantly.

"Or he is unable to respond," Teal'c finished.

O'Neill sighed deeply and lifted his baseball cap to scrub his fingers through his short gray hair. After a moment he came to a decision. "All right, let's take advantage of the time we have before those goons show up again. Teal'c take the perimeter. Set as many charges as you can between us and the Jaffa. Carter, check and organize our remaining supplies. It's gonna be a long night if it comes to that. I'm gonna take a look around, see what else is here."

"What about Daniel, sir." she asked, her eyes wide and questioning.

O'Neill's brown eyes locked on hers. "We'll find him. Keep trying to raise him on the radio," He said softly. His tone was even but firm. We will find you Daniel, just hang tight.

The temple itself had seen better days. From down below looking up from the plateau it looked very much like a heap of crumpled ruins. "Rocks" as O'Neill put it. But from up close and personal he could see that the actual structure of the temple was much more massive.

It jutted out further back than it was wide giving the appearance of a smaller building. It looked like only the front of the building had began to suffer ruin. In many ways it reminded Jack of pictures of old Greek buildings he had seen in Daniel's books. But in other ways it reminded him of something else – but try as he might he couldn't quite place it. It would come to him.

Some of the stone walls had intricate carvings, others were completely smooth. It was starkly devoid of any kind of pictographs. Jack liked pictures. Pictures he could relate to. Who would spend their time reading something if there weren't any good pictures to go with it?

Daniel would have considered this heaven. No wonder he was so eager to get started with his survey. He could just see him now eagerly jumping from one carving to the next trying to compare it to others he had seen in the temple, looking for a common point of reference.

If the linguist had been here he could have told them by now the history of the people who built this temple; what foods they ate, what gods they worshipped. But Daniel wasn't here. And, fascinating as the temple was, they were now being chased by nasty bad guys. Right now O'Neill needed to find Daniel and get them all home in one piece.

That thought echoing in his mind, Jack set off for the far end of the temple at a quick jog. He needed to find out what lay beyond the temple and if it was a viable solution to their getting back to the gate.

The temple ended abruptly into the hillside. It seemed to have been built several yards into the hill and the remainder of it jutted out the side of the hill. Behind it a sheer wall ascending about 200 yards straight up ending all thoughts of escaping that way. Both sides of the temple were dotted with treacherously loose rocks and boulders. A steep rock face was on either side. They were trapped.

Back at the entrance with Carter and Teal'c, O'Neill broke the bad news.

"Ok, help me out here folks. Best guess as to exactly how Daniel got off this rock – 'cause if there's another way outta here I want to know about it."

"Well sir," Carter started, glancing back and forth from O'Neill to Teal'c. "There aren't any signs of a fight occurring here while we were down on the plateau, if that's what you're wondering. I mean there are no staff blast marks or blood--"

"Carter!" O'Neill growled low in a tone that told her not to even go there. "What are you saying that he's still here somewhere?"

"Well, yes sir!" Carter was insistent.

"Major, there is no where else he could be. I've searched the entire temple grounds and he isn't here. So my guess is that somehow he made it to the gate."

"I disagree, O'Neill," Teal'c intoned. At the colonel's questioning gaze he continued.

"Whatever transpired here caught Daniel Jackson unaware," reasoned Teal'c, "Otherwise he would not have left his spectacles behind. Many times I have heard Daniel Jackson say that he is as blind as a nocturnal winged rodent without them."

Jack thought about this for a moment, "Nah," he admitted, "I don't suppose he would. Ok, Carter, show me exactly where you found those 'spectacles' of Daniel's."

* * *

Daniel's eyes fluttered open. He was confused and his head hurt. The last thing he remembered was being in the tunnel when suddenly it got very hard to stay upright. He did remember feeling hot, but now he was cool, almost chilly. And it was very bright. Had he managed to get out somehow?

Raising his head slightly he suddenly remembered his injured shoulder. Clutching at it with his good right hand he realized that it didn't hurt so badly now. In fact, he was able to move it now with just a little soreness.

"Are you well, now?" Daniel jumped, startled by the voice so near him. He hadn't heard anyone approach.

"Do not be afraid. I will not harm you. I have been attempting to heal your injuries, but it would seem I have only made minimal progress."

"That's ok - - thank you. My name is Daniel Jackson. I'm here with my friends. We're peaceful explorers. You're the man from the tunnel, aren't you?" Daniel paused waiting for the man to reply.

It was indeed the man from the tunnel that Daniel encountered before. Only he was obviously alive and breathing, not a statue as the archaeologist had earlier assumed.

They were in a room, apparently on the other side of the wall Daniel had been trying to get through before he collapsed. Instead of stone walls however, the walls were smooth with glyphs and pictographs here and there. The floor was definitely made of some kind of manufactured material not rock.

Daniel's eyes widened as he realized that the room was filled with technologically advanced equipment. No doubt the man had tried to use some of it on him to heal his injuries.

The two men stared at each other. The man said nothing but continued to regard Daniel with a critical eye. "You are weak, you need nourishment," he finally said.

Memories of Nem came unbidden into Daniel's mind and the 'nourishment' he was offered in the underwater palace. "Umm, that's ok. I'm fine," Daniel managed to say. "Can you help me get back to my friends? We were separated when I fell down here. They're in trouble. We were under attack by some Jaffa and - -"

"Jaffa! My enemies have found me then! Quickly we must hurry! Come!" Without another word the man abruptly turned and exited the room leaving Daniel to follow.

* * *

"How far do you think it is down there Teal'c?" O'Neill and the others were standing at the entrance to the trap door that Daniel had fallen through. Peering down they half expected to see Daniel pop out from the darkness with an innocent "Oh, hi guys".

"Several feet at least, O'Neill," Teal'c said.

Narrow stone steps were visible descending below the ground level before disappearing into the pitch black below. Decay was clearly evident as debris from crumbled steps could be seen littering the stairway.

Carter was the first to voice her thoughts. "God, I hope he didn't fall down these stairs. Its pretty steep and the last several feet are broken off." Sam paused. "Let me go first, sir. I'm lighter than the two of you and it should hold my weight with no problem. I can guide you once I'm down at the bottom."

"Ok, Carter, but first secure a line from you to Teal'c. I don't want to lose you, too." A beat later he added, "Just in case there a sudden drop, or something…" Jack's voice trailed off. Feeling his face suddenly flush he made himself busy trying Daniel on the radio again. O'Neill's reaction was not missed by Teal'c who made a mental note to ask his human friend about it later.

Sam was too busy hiding her own reddening countenance to notice Jack's. As Jack watched her work out of the corner of his eye he thought about what an exceptional woman his 2IC was. He was proud to have her as his Major and he had unwavering faith is her abilities.

Many of those skills were developed through Air Force conditioning. Other natural abilities were simply honed by the military training. Such was the case with her. Carter was an experienced hiker and climber; a natural athlete. He was confident she could handle this with ease.

"I'm ready, Colonel" Sam called from her position at the doorway.

"Ok, go for it."

Taking a deep breath Sam proceeded cautiously down the stairs.

* * *

Standing up was a huge mistake. Daniel realized that only after he found himself on the floor struggling to hold onto what was left of his breakfast that morning. Nausea and dizziness washed over him in waves as if he was seasick. _I must have hit my head harder than I thought. Probably have a slight concussion. Is there any such thing as a slight concussion or am I slightly concussed. _

"Whoa, I'm not making any sense." Daniel muttered to himself. "And now I'm talking to myself. Not a good sign."

Daniel gazed in what he thought was the direction that the stranger went. Everything was a little blurry without his glasses. "Another one bites the dust." he thought wryly as he wondered for the umpteenth time why he hadn't thought to include an extra pair of glasses in his pack. Slowly he stood up and stumbled toward the open doorway.

What he saw next jolted him. The room he was now in very much resembled the control room of a Goa'uld mothership.

And they weren't alone. The 'stranger' was talking in hushed tones to another equally well-muscled man dressed in a similar manner. Several others, men and women, passed by busy at their work, whatever that was. Daniel was stunned. The others ignored him obviously perceiving him as a non-threat. Taking a shaky step forward Daniel managed to sink down into a seat at one of several brilliantly lit control panels.

The stranger approached him now. A concerned look on his expressive face. "You not well. I had hoped our technology would help to make you whole again."

"My arm is much better, thank you. Its just my head..I, uh, I just need a minute to get my bearings. What is this place? Do your people live underground to avoid the Goa'uld? Is that why you built this place?"

"You ask many questions. Sit here and rest awhile. I am needed elsewhere. I will send someone to check on you soon."

"Wait! Please, I need your help! My friends – as far as I know they are still battling the Jaffa on the surface. Can you help them? We're peaceful explorers – we don't mean you any harm. We only wish to offer you our hand of friendship in an alliance against the Goa'uld. If I can get back to the Stargate - - ,"

"We will talk of this later. The Stargate is now guarded by my enemy. You will not be able to leave. I will tell my sentinels to look out for your friends. We will help them if we can."

After he had gone, Daniel slipped off his pack and rummaged through it. His headache was getting worse now in spite of his hosts efforts. "Four Tylenol should do it for now," he thought, mentally calculating how long it would be before he ran out of tablets.

Digging out his field journal, the archaeologist began to write a detailed description of what had happened up to this point. Not only would it help keep his mind off his missing teammates but maybe it would help him make sense of the strange things he had seen.

Try as he might, it was getting more and more difficult for the young man to concentrate through the dull ache behind his eyes. Finally, putting down his journal he allowed himself to think of his friends. He was alone - again. And the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach was back. He never told anyone about it mostly because there usually wasn't any one to tell. It had started happening when his parents died and it came back every time he was forced to pack his bags and move to a new foster home.

It was a sick feeling of dread. Dread of being left alone and not knowing what the future held. Dread that he would never find a permanent home with parents that loved and cared for him. Then later it became a dread that he would never be reunited with Sha're. The feeling was almost a constant companion. He had pretty much gotten used to it.

Until Jack took him in and showed him that he had a permanent place and a family with SG-1.

Now that he was a part of the SGC – now that they were all his family – he rarely felt those dark emotions. Sure they came up occasionally whenever he dared to think back on those years of growing up alone or in some nightmare that taunted him from time to time.

But he hadn't expected it to show up at this moment, not in the middle of a mission.

His mind kept flashing back to the last time he had seen his team - - fighting for their very lives. Daniel put his head down on the console and waited for the stranger to return, praying that his team had somehow gotten to safety.

* * *

"Well this is the proverbial fork in the road." O'Neill said dryly.

Jack, Carter and Teal'c were standing at the bottom of the cavern below the temple. In front of them they were faced with several man-made tunnels. It was impossible to determine which one the wayward archaeologist had taken.

They had found the blister packs from the pills Daniel had taken. He had definitely been down here. _"Injured most likely_, O'Neill thought. "_Otherwise he wouldn't have needed the painkillers."_

"Okay, let's split up. Everybody take a tunnel." Jack waved a hand indicating the passageways. "Report every fifteen minutes. Let's move out."

Jack welcomed the chance to be alone with his thoughts as he checked out the left-most tunnel. He knew that Carter and Teal'c were both anxious to find their friend. And he hoped that they couldn't see just how worried he was for Daniel.

More than worried, Jack was scared to death. Daniel was his responsibility and once again he managed to lose the archaeologist who was also his best friend.

"I swear when this is over Daniel, I'm never letting you outta my sight!" Jack mumbled under his breath. His mind slipped back to Abydos when Daniel had unhesitatingly stepped between Jack and a staff blast even though he barely knew Jack more than a few days. Later when Daniel came back to earth after Sha're was taken and Daniel had no where to go, they had spent a lot of spent a lot of time in the wee hours of the morning talking.

Jack had been trying to help Daniel deal with the loss of his wife and get on with his life. But later the older man realized that Daniel had really been the one to help him get back on track with his own life. Daniel's enthusiasm and optimism were contagious and even though he tried not to let on much, Jack admired the linguist a great deal.

As he proceeded through the passageway lost in thought, Jack didn't hear the soft footsteps behind him until it was too late.

**_To Be Continued? _**

_**Your feedback is appreciated. Constructive criticism is always welcome. **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note: Another great, big, special thanks to Maddy Lake Deep for all the encouragement and constructive criticism! Thank you, YamiPanther & Katrika Star for the excellent advice. Also, thanks to all of you who reviewed for me and encouraged me to continue this story! **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I sure love 'em!**_

"_I swear when this is over Daniel, I'm never letting you outta my sight!" Jack mumbled under his breath. His mind slipped back to Abydos when Daniel had unhesitatingly stepped between Jack and a staff blast even though he barely knew Jack more than a few days. Later when Daniel came back to earth after Sha're was taken and Daniel had no where to go, they had spent a lot of spent a lot of time in the wee hours of the morning talking. _

_Jack had been trying to help Daniel deal with the loss of his wife and get on with his life. But later the older man realized that Daniel had really been the one to help him get back on track with his own life. Daniel's enthusiasm and optimism were contagious and even though he tried not to let on much, Jack admired the linguist a great deal. _

_As he proceeded through the passageway lost in thought, Jack didn't hear the soft footsteps behind him until it was too late. _

* * *

Carter spun around just as the energy weapon discharged sending her flying off her feet into the cavern wall. A ragged scream tore from her throat as blinding white-hot pain seared through her body.

Gasping for breath on the cold cavern floor Sam felt rather than saw someone approaching her. The figure neared but by now her vision was blurred with pain. She felt her weapon being roughly taken from her limp hands. Struggling in vain to reach her radio to warn the Colonel and Teal'c, she unwillingly succumbed to the numbing blackness.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c boomed into the radio.

"I heard it Teal'c! Carter, report!" O'Neill fairly screamed into his radio. "Major!"

Realizing it was useless to try raising her, O'Neill turned and headed back the way he came as he spoke tersely into his 2-way.

"Teal'c, meet me at Carter's tunnel, now!" Teal'c did not respond. In the not so far distance the Colonel heard weapons fire. He could distinctly make out the sound of Teal'c staff weapon.

"Aw for crying out loud!" Jack muttered under his breath as he fell into a dead run. "_Ambushed again!", he thought. "This is crazy, can anything else possibly go wrong here?" _A million scenarios flashed through his mind as he ran toward the center cavern.

Too late he heard the noise to his right just as he passed by an outcropping in the rock formation. As he instinctively put up his arm to protect himself something very heavy and very hard connected with the side of his head. Stars of pain criss-crossed his field of vision as he crumpled to the ground and sank into oblivion.

* * *

Daniel carefully observed the people moving efficiently around him. They were busy operating the various control panels in the room. Each person seemed to have their own station. Every so often one would get up from his station and consult with someone at another station. The technology was very similar to that of the Goau'ld which intrigued Daniel.

"Come." The speaker was the man Daniel saw his host talking to earlier. When Daniel didn't respond right away, the man took him by the arm as if guiding a wayward child and directed him through what seemed like endless corridors through the compound. Every time Daniel hesitated near an open doorway the man gently but firmly propelled him onward.

At last, they came to a halt outside a large ornate door. "Enter." The man ordered Daniel and without another word he turned down the corridor back the way they had come.

"Okaaay", Daniel said to no one in particular as he pushed open the door. The room itself was grand to say the least. The walls were decorated in gold hieroglyphs much like Goa'uld ships, but alternated with colorful flat panels of pictographs. _Even Jack would like this, _Daniel thought.

Furnishings were scarce in the chamber. A rather large couch like object was near the far wall. Other smaller pieces of furniture were strewn about the room. A much larger chair, which he assumed was for the person most socially important also stood nearby.

To his right were three rooms he imagined must be sleeping chambers from the glimpse he had through their partially opened doors. Plush furniture in rich colors adorned each spacious room. "_This outer area must be something like a receiving room," _reasoned Daniel.

As he returned to exploring the outer chamber, Daniel's eyes automatically went to the glyphs on the walls.

"Definitely Aztec/Toltec origin", Daniel mumbled, "just not sure what period. I need to record some of this." He groaned inwardly. "I forgot my journal at the console in the control room!" A picture of the brown field journal came to his mind resting against the wall of the alcove where he had been sitting.

Mentally brow-beating himself, the archaeologist searched through his vest pockets for something to write with. He found a pencil and pad in one of the pockets and quickly set about jotting down glyphs.

The symbols were familiar to him, but their meaning eluded him. He immediately recognized the symbols for the sun, god, mountain, and sky. But they didn't make much sense given the context.

The stranger and his people definitely fit the physical description of the ancient Indian people of earth. How had they arrived here though? Which Goa'uld removed them from earth and re-settled them on this planet? How had they acquired this advanced technology? Daniel didn't know how much time had passed before he was startled by a voice speaking behind him.

"Daniel Jackson."

Daniel's heart leaped. "Teal-", Daniel blurted then stopped. It wasn't Teal'c. It was the stranger.

"I'm sorry," Daniel apologized, trying to conceal his disappointment. "I thought you were my friend Teal'c. I told you about them remember? They are on the surface of this planet fighting the Jaffa."

"My sentinels were dispatched to find them but they were not near the temple. They most likely have been captured by the enemy Jaffa. I am sorry." The stranger paused letting this information sink in.

Now that they were standing next to each other, Daniel could see that they were around the same height and build, but the similarities ended there.

Where Daniel had light, short brown hair, the warrior had dark, long hair. Where Daniel was pale, the warrior's skin was a rich tanned color. Daniel thought he saw curiosity framed behind dark brown eyes.

"I am Huantar, leader of this place. Your presence in the tunnels triggered sensors in my sleep module to revive me. Our people have been asleep for many years. Our modules were programmed to revive us long before now, but a mal-function must have occurred.

Huantar continued, "My sentinels guard each tunnel leading to this place. As leader of my people I felt it was my place to join my sentinels in defending this place. I found you just as you lost consciousness and brought you here. Before you awakened I carried out the necessary steps to begin bringing my people out of their deep slumber. Therefore we owe you a debt of gratitude. Without you, we would still be asleep; vulnerable to our enemy's attacks."

"Um, you're welcome," Daniel replied weakly. His mind was in turmoil, his head pounding mercilessly. What had happened to the rest of SG-1? Was there anyway he could convince this alien ruler to help him plan a rescue?

Huantar's voice jarred him from his thoughts. "My closest friend and advisor Taloc escorted you here. I think its best if you remain in these rooms while we plan our next actions against our enemy. Your needs will be seen to." He turned to go.

Daniel's eyes widened slightly as realization dawned on him. "You're not sure if you can trust me, are you? I wasn't trying to find your hidden compound back there in the tunnel. I was trying to find a way out and back to the Stargate. As I told you, my friends are in danger on the surface."

Huantar turned back to face the archaeologist, but remained silent.

Another realization hit him, "That's it, isn't it? You couldn't find any trace of my friends so you're not sure if I'm telling the truth about them." Daniel was getting angry now, "Well I am, and they are in very real danger, as you well know!"

Again, the other man remained silent.

"Then why keep me here at all!" Daniel shouted. "Let me go back to the surface. I'll find a way to either get to the gate or rescue my friends myself. You don't have to be involved."

The leader did speak then. "Even if we did escort you to the surface the Stargate is too heavily guarded for you to get back to your planet. As for rescuing your friends, you would not stand a chance against hundreds of Jaffa, perhaps thousands by now."

Defeated, the young archaeologist slumped against the wall closing his eyes. He felt drained from his argument with Huantar. Daniel swayed slightly as he pushed off the wall to stand face to face with the warrior.

"Look, my people and yours can help each other fight the Gou'ald but first we have to trust each other. Please. I need to help my friends. We have a saying on our planet. No one gets left behind. Can you help me rescue them?"

Huantar's dark brown eyes regarded the archaeologist carefully. "You do not look like any warrior I have ever seen. You tell us that you are a peaceful explorer yet you carry deadly weapons."

In a slightly softer tone he added, "Which of the two are you really Daniel Jackson?"

Daniel's hand automatically went to his sidearm, which wasn't there. He hadn't noticed until now that neither it nor his zat was still strapped in place.

"Yes, um, about that," Daniel started slowly. He was trying to find a plausible explanation but couldn't come up with one that would make sense to an alien who obviously saw things as either black or white.

The truth was that for a long time the young linguist had resisted carrying a weapon on their missions. But at Jack's insistence, and the General's outright refusal to allow him to leave Earth unarmed he'd had no choice. Except one, he insisted on also carrying a zat which could also be used only to stun someone.

"I'm, well, I'm sort of both," Daniel began. "It's very difficult to explain, but I'll try, you see--" he was cut off by Taloc's voice over the com panel.

"My Lord! The enemy has breached the temple and have been spotted in the tunnels! Our sentinels are under attack! Without reinforcements they will soon be forced to retreat!"

At Daniel's questioning glance Huantar explained. "Not all our people are out of stasis yet. The controls have been damaged to several mass chambers. I'm afraid we are operating at a diminished capacity because we cannot awaken our brothers."

"How many are still asleep?"

Huantar paused, "Eighty-five percent", he admitted. "Including most of our women and little ones. If we could get another twenty percent of our warriors awakened we would at least have a fighting chance."

"Let me look at the modules, I've had some experience with these things and your technology looks similar to one I've worked with before."

Noting the other man's hesitancy Daniel added, "Look, I certainly can't make things any worse. Let me help, Huantar."

The other man regarded Daniel intently with a hard expression which suddenly softened. Clapping a hand on Daniel's shoulder Huantar smiled. "In my heart I sense that you are a good man, Daniel Jackson. Come we must hurry! You may indeed be able to help a great deal." At that they set off at a light jog toward the control room.

* * *

"I think he's coming around. Sir, can you hear me?"

Jack slowly opened his eyes. Carter was leaning over him with a worried expression on her face. Teal'c stood guard nearby also looking somewhat distressed.

"I'm awake." Jack started to get up but was gently held down by Carter's restraining hand.

"Give it a minute, Sir. We're not going anywhere for a while."

"Wha-" Jack started, and then as his vision adjusted he realized that they were being held in a prison cell.

"Now isn't this just peachy?" Jack lay back and tightly pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes. Silently he prayed they would again beat the odds to find their way out of this mess.

"O'Neill," Teal'c had switched places with Carter to sit on the cot opposite Jack.

"We were attacked in the tunnels during our search for Daniel Jackson. I regret that I was rendered unconscious before I was able to identify our captors."

"Are you all right T?" The Colonel suddenly became aware of the thin sheen of sweat on his friend's brow. And he looked pale – for a dark-skinned man. Jack swung his legs over the side of the cot to get a better look.

"I will be well again." Teal'c intoned. "You and Major Carter sustained more serious injuries than I. I believe that the two of you were taken to a sarcophagus and healed, then brought back here to await interrogation."

Jack shuddered inwardly at the mention of the sarcophagus. Lord knows he'd never wanted to set foot, let alone body, inside one of those again. The memory of Ba'al using that thing to revive him over and over again still gave him nightmares. Probably would for the rest of his life. He didn't remember being taken to one. But then again he couldn't remember being brought here either.

"I know what you are feeling, O'Neill." Teal'c said quietly.

"You do?" Jack blinked. He was surprised by his friend's quiet tones. Teal'c usually didn't beat around the bush. Whatever he wanted to say usually just came out. But that's what Jack liked about him. He could depend on him to be honest.

"You suffered much at the hands of Ba'al when you were his prisoner." Carter's head jerked around from her examination of the door mechanism.

The Colonel paled visibly and shot a furtive glance at Carter before fixing his gaze on the floor. He wasn't expecting that. An honest assessment of their situation, yes. But any mention of his feelings on the topic of his time with Ba'al had pretty much been a taboo subject.

And the team had pretty much accepted that. Carter felt too guilty, so she would never bring it up. Jonas was back on Kelowna and Teal'c respected his space. Jack didn't talk about it even when Daniel returned because, well, Daniel didn't even remember it or the role he played.

"Our captors have clearly saved our lives because they believe we are a source of useful information. We must be prepared for the possibility that this may be a situation similar to that which you experienced with Ba'al" Teal'c paused, "and plan accordingly."

Jack's own head snapped up at that. He had told no one what he had begged Daniel to do; pleaded with him to do. But Daniel refused, insisting that there was another way, and Jack had lived to fight another day.

As much as he tried to push it into the back of his mind, Jack knew deep down inside that one day this might happen again. Just like those four months in Iraq. No one should have to go through that.

When he was first released to active duty after his rescue, every time he went on a mission the thought of Iraq happening again plagued him. Made him ineffective, that is, until he made up in his mind that "they" wouldn't, no, couldn't control him anymore. The mission was all that mattered. As long as they continued to step through that gate and challenge the Goa'uld they would all have to be prepared to take that risk.

The Colonel came to a decision. Standing up now he addressed his team and his fears head on. "Listen kids, we are going to get out of here. We need to gather as much intel as possible and come up with a plan. Teal'c tell me everything you can remember from the time you regained consciousness to now. Carter keep working on that door while we talk," Jack paused to help her pull a jammed grid from the control panel.

A small smile graced the former first prime's lips as he watched his friends set to work. O'Neill would be all right.

* * *

_"God, I wish Sam was here!"_ Daniel thought as he examined the controls of the mass stasis chamber. _"She'd have this thing up and running so fast...But Sam isn't here and this could be their only chance. If Huantar and his men can subdue the Jaffa, we may be able to find Jack, Sam and Teal'c. I'm going to have to concentrate. If only this headache would go away."_

"Your head still distresses you, Daniel Jackson." It wasn't a question but rather a statement. Daniel marveled at how Teal'c-like Huantar was.

It was pointless to lie given the fact that he had been caught trying to rub the ache away with an overly vigorous finger to the temple. On the other hand admitting pain may be construed as a sign of weakness especially in a warrior-based society such as this one.

Straightening up in his chair, Daniel decided to change the subject. "Huantar, how long have your people been in stasis?

"It is difficult to determine that. Our systems should have woken us after only a few months. If our calculations are correct we have been sleeping for several centuries."

"Incredible," the archaeologist said in amazement. "So this system was never intended to sustain your people for this long. No wonder the controls are malfunctioning." Daniel turned his attention back to the console as Huantar peered over his shoulder.

"As near as I can figure the command functions are jumbled. If we can figure out which commands correspond to the proper function we can start reviving some of your people. But it's going to be tricky. The identification codes keep changing at random. There seems to be a lot of commands here to match up in the proper order and sequence."

"There are approximately thirty-eight, Daniel Jackson."

"Oh – well in that case, I guess I'd better get started," the linguist concluded. "By the way, Huantar, why did your people go into stasis to begin with?"

When the other man didn't reply, Daniel looked up just in time to see a pained expression cross the leader's face. Huantar quickly turned away.

"Are you all right?" Daniel sprang from his chair and peered intently at the other man's back. "I'm sorry if I was out of line to ask. I didn't mean to upset you."

"A great calamity befell our people and we were forced into hiding. We barely escaped with our lives," Huantar quietly replied.

"And the calamity has something to do with the enemy who is pursuing you now?" Daniel pressed further.

"My Lord!" Taloc beckoned to Huantar from the doorway.

"We will speak more later, Daniel Jackson."

As Huantar reached him, Taloc pulled him outside. "What is it, old friend?"

"What are you doing, trusting our peoples lives to this man you hardly know!" Taloc's anger was barely disguised.

Daniel watched them from across the room. He was used to observing others without being overt. As a child he learned to pick up on clues that the conversation was about him, and then make himself as inconspicuous as possible, pretending not to hear. People usually said more when they thought you weren't listening. Oh yeah, the conversation was definitely about him.

The second in command, as Daniel supposed he was, stood nearly an inch taller than Huantar, but both had the same perfectly tanned skin and dark hair. Definitely of the same tribe, the archaeologist surmised. Possibly even brothers or cousins given the closeness of their relationship.

"He is of our kin."

"He may very well be working in liaison with our enemies! We must keep him from doing our people any further harm."

"He can help us save them, Taloc! If we do nothing they will die. He is our best hope of releasing the others. With most of our engineers dead and the others in stasis-"

"And how do we know that he was not the cause of their deaths? Are you certain that he was not returning from here when you found him in the tunnels? For all we know he may have caused the system's malfunction!"

"He was not the cause!"

"We know it was a deliberate act of sabotage! Roktan and the others have approached me regarding your actions. It is one thing to provide him refuge, quite another to provide him access to our systems -"

"Have you and my cousin Roktan led a council session without my knowledge?"

"No, of course not!" Taloc fairly seethed.

"You no longer trust me then?"

"You know I love you as a brother, Huantar. But you have softened your heart toward this one without good reason. Have we not already learned that deception can come from many sources? Have we not already been terribly betrayed? And paid the high price for our trust?" the warrior finished bitterly.

Huantar moved to clasp Taloc's arm, "I have read his heart and have found him to be a kindred soul to us. He will help us free our people. You need only have faith."

"Faith, is for the weak and foolish!" Huantar and Taloc looked up to see Roktan advancing on them in the corridor.

Roktan inclined his head slightly toward Huantar. "My Lord, as head of security, I must insist that this man, Daniel Jackson, be confined. I can spare two men to guard him. My other men are holding off the Jaffa in the caverns - for now."

"I am leader here cousin, any such decision will be rendered by me!"

"It is a breach of security to reveal our technological secrets to him! He should be confined! My investigation clearly shows a saboteur was or still is at work here. We cannot afford to take these risks!"

"I hate to interrupt this," Three sets of eyes turned and locked on Daniel Jackson. "I, uh, I think I've managed to start the revival process for this chamber." Daniel explained pointing over his shoulder. "Can someone come take a look?"

* * *

Jack, Sam and Teal'c quietly crept out of their cell into the corridor. Overriding the door mechanism had been easy.

_"A little too easy,"_ Jack thought, _"but I'll take it. Maybe things are starting to look up."_

The floor appeared to be deserted, nevertheless, they checked each room for any sign of Daniel. Finding none, they ventured to the next level above.

It was obvious now that they were being kept prisoner either onboard a Goa'uld ship or base. In an empty compartment they found hooded robes similar those that priests on Chulak wore. Quickly they donned the disguises.

"Keep an eye out for a ring pad, Teal'c." the Colonel whispered.

"Sir, shouldn't we find out if we're in orbit or not first."

"Oh yeah, I was gonna say that." Jack looked around with a bewildered expression. "Anybody have any thoughts on where everybody is?"

"You three! Stop!" A menacing voice from behind them spoke.

They froze.

Jack rolled his eyes.

_God, so close._

Caught, the three teammates slowly turned and as they did the speaker turned and strode purposefully away from them down the hallway.

"Attend me!" he shouted over his shoulder.

Jack looked at Sam and Teal'c questioningly, they shrugged. The Colonel raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the speaker. Carter and Teal'c also nodded. Jack whispered to himself, "He thinks we're part of the priesthood. Might as well keep up the act and see where it gets us."

Wordlessly they fell into step behind the figure and followed him down the long passageway.

_**TBC**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: Sorry it's taken so long for me to post this chapter. I hope youenjoy it! Thanks to everyone for all your support! Specialthanks to BalrogsBreathfor the kind guidance - I hope you like this chapter! Please continue to review and offer advice, it really helps! **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I sure love 'em!**_

* * *

_Caught, the three teammates slowly turned and as they did the speaker turned and strode purposefully down the hallway. _

_"Attend me!" he shouted over his shoulder. _

_Jack looked at Sam and Teal'c questioningly, they shrugged. The Colonel raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the speaker. Carter and Teal'c also nodded. Jack whispered to himself, "He thinks we're part of the priesthood. Might as well keep up the act and see where it gets us." _

_Wordlessly they fell into step behind the figure and followed him down the long passageway. _

* * *

Jack, Sam and Teal'c marched through the corridor behind the figure. He was dressed in the same hooded robes they were but his hood was pulled back, revealing long dark hair and tanned skin. Soon they turned the corner and were ushered into a large hall. The room was crowded with many others dressed as they were who appeared busy at work.

"Assist the others in making preparations for your Lord!" The man barked without looking at them, then turned and strode away. He moved and spoke with an air of authority which suggested to O'Neill that he was 'the lord's' right hand man.

The team quickly picked their way through the throng of robed figures and moved off to a vacant corner of the room. Observing from the shadowy corner they could see that the people moving about the room were both men and women. They too had long dark hair and skin, reminiscent of the Indian culture Daniel had spoken about.

Some were helping to load tables with food obviously preparing for a huge feast. Others were busy filling large urns of water or wine and arranging decorations around the chamber. Another group, apparently the priests, were huddled near the back of an elevated platform arranging several items on a large table. Everyone was chattering excitedly as they worked.

"At least we know where everyone is, now. Ok, let's stick together and keep our heads low." O'Neill directed the other two as he snagged three pieces of fruit from a nearby table.

"Sir, these people strongly resemble the Native American Indians on Earth. Daniel was right about the temple we found." Carter deduced.

"Yeah, I guess that's why it looked kinda familiar. Definitely Aztec judging from the symbols on the temple."

"Sir? How do you know that?" Carter managed to choke out. Teal'c arched an eyebrow.

"What? Oh, from Daniel's books." Not getting any response from Sam or Teal'c he continued. "In his office? I flip through them sometimes. When I'm waiting for Daniel…and I'm bored, " he finished perfectly, maintaining an innocent expression. He could just see the wheels turning in Carter's head. He hadn't meant to let it slip that he actually paid attention when Daniel spoke.

"There is an open doorway on that far wall, O'Neill." Teal'c said finally breaking the shocked silence. "I have observed several persons coming and going through it carrying supplies. We should not be interfered with if we attempt to exit that way."

"Ok, let's move. Maybe those supplies are being brought here by ring transport."

Slowly so as not to arouse suspicion, the trio inched through the crowd toward the exit at the opposite wall. Just as O'Neill was about to step through the doorway, he abruptly swung around pulling a surprised Carter and Teal'c against the wall with him.

"Sir?" Carter hissed. She was interrupted by the sound of heavy Jaffa feet clanging through the corridor.

Just then a large entourage of servants and Jaffa and finally an elegantly cloaked figure marched past them into the room. As the observers moved aside to let the group pass, the team was able to view a throne and an altar emerge slowly from the floor below the elevated platform.

The cloaked figure, presumably their ruler, slowly climbed the stairs to the throne, his back toward the crowd. Quickly, two servants moved forward to remove the cloak from his shoulders. As he now turned and faced the crowded room his eyes glowed menacingly.

* * *

It hadn't taken long to revive those in the chamber Daniel was working on. Most of the newly awakened were sentinels under Roktan's command who quickly joined their brothers in defense of the compound. Several others were thankfully engineers who took over the job of trying to revive the others. 

Not long after that Roktan disappeared, presumably to oversee the new battle strategy that was worked out now that they had extra men. He left, Daniel noted, without any further mention of confining him to quarters. At least that skirmish was over - for now.

Daniel felt drained but at the same time relieved that Huantar's people, the Nawata as he learned they called themselves, had a fighting chance against their enemy.

If only he could find Jack, Sam and Teal'c. But he was so tired, and the steady thumping in his ears kept growing louder and louder even though he tried to ignore it. Maybe he should get a little rest. He wouldn't be any good in the search for his team if he weren't one hundred percent, which apparently he wasn't. Slipping out of the room he headed for the quarters Taloc escorted him to earlier that day.

Huantar promised that as soon as the Nawata warriors prevailed over the Jaffa in the caverns they would help him find his friends. Daniel felt he could trust Huantar **I**t was the others Taloc and Roktan that he wasn't so sure about. It was clear they both regarded him with some suspicion and he understood their position.

If their roles were reversed he might feel the same way. Of course, he didn't have a military mind-set. If it were General Hammond or Jack in those shoes, Daniel could easily see them confining him to quarters. As a matter of fact, General O'Neill had done that in the alternate universe he was accidentally sent to through the quantum mirror.

Arriving at the quarters assigned to him, Daniel stumbled through the door of the first adjoining room. Fresh fruit and water was laid out as if in expectation of his arrival. Ignoring it Daniel headed straight for the plush bed and collapsed into an exhausted heap.

His last thoughts were centered on the Nawata people and why the name sounded so familiar to him. Maybe with a few minutes sleep and a clear head he would figure it out. Unable to fight his body's need for rest any longer, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sam flinched at the sight of the Goa'uld's glowing eyes. _"I'll never get used to that,"_ she thought as she willed herself not to turn away in disgust. Good thing that the hooded robes covered their faces pretty well. She noted that her teammates, one on either side of her, each protectively took a half step closer. Suppressing a shiver, she steeled herself for whatever would come next. 

After making a deliberate show of scanning the crowd, the monarch began to speak. "Today is a glorious day for us. We have now hunted down the last of our enemies and soon they too will be destroyed. Even now they fight against us but they are powerless to stop us. We will prevail and at last the universe will be free of the hated Nawata forever!"

The monarch stepped back, a wicked smile on his face. Turning he ascended the throne and sat without another word. A hooded figure then separated itself from the entourage on the platform and motioned to the Jaffa.

Commotion could be heard as two young men, mid-twenties or so were propelled toward the altar by Jaffa. The hooded figure now moved to speak to the assembly. Jack recognized the voice. He could just make out the features under the hood. It was the "lord's" right hand man again.

"Witness how enemies of your lord are dealt with! All who try to oppose us will be punished! All Hail Zalcot! Your lord who brought you forth and delivered you from the Nawata of the Tau'ri. Long ago your ancestors fought and died at the hands of these evil ones. Soon the last of the Nawata will be no more and the Tau'ri will suffer the same fate! All Hail Zalcot, all hail Zalcot, all hail Zalcot!"

Suddenly Jack knew what was about to happen.

Teal'c moved swiftly to step in front of Major Carter, effectively blocking her view of what was about to be a human sacrifice.

Shouts of approval went up from the throng around them. The crowd was in a fervor repeating the mantra over and over again. The trio felt themselves being pushed forward as the manic group crowded in to get a closer view.

Carter let out a soft moan, "Oh no!", and began to sway.

Sam felt Jack's strong grip on her forearm. As she was propelled away from the horrifying scene, the edges of her vision start to gray out. Overwhelming nausea besieged her. Thankfully, the Colonel and Teal'c were on either side of her and guided her steadily toward the back of the room and out the exit without bringing any attention to themselves.

When they were safely down the corridor, and were hidden away around the corner, Jack took a moment to check over his 2IC. When she went limp back there he felt his heart drop.

Now, pulling the hood off her head to get a better look he thought his heart would pound right out of his chest! Bad choice of words. Those poor kids back there. Jack could still see the boy's heart in the priest's hand, still beating - No wonder Carter was in a state of shock.

He was grateful to Teal'c for trying to prevent her from seeing the sacrifices. O'Neill had been rooted to the spot, too astonished to do anything. But when the priest was done he had paraded around the stage

Propped up against the wall, Sam shivered. _"Why is it so cold?" _From far off she heard Jack's voice calling to her. She blinked trying unsuccessfully to focus him. _"God, what's wrong with me, it's not like I haven't seen people die in battle before,"_ Sam thought fuzzily and allowed her eyes to close.

"Teal'c, she's not responding. Probably in shock. Did you see any signs of ring controls around here?" The Colonel barked. He was extremely concerned by the state of his second in command.

"Indeed, O'Neill." Teal'c said as he bent forward to lift Sam with no effort. "Follow me." He intoned as he purposefully strode off with Sam cradled gently in his arms.

Jack stood from his crouched position and immediately had to put a hand out to steady himself. "Whoa there!" he muttered to himself, shaking his head to clear it. Bright spots sparked in his field of vision. After a moment, and a few deep breaths, they were gone and he quickly moved to catch up with his team.

Sam felt herself being lifted up and carried. Even with her eyes closed she could tell it was Teal'c who held her. Why couldn't she open her eyes? They were just too heavy. The feeling of weightlessness was unfamiliar to her. Usually she was the one that other people leaned on when they were injured.

Involuntarily her thoughts drifted to the few occasions in her life when she had to be carried. Her father, Jacob, had warned her and her brother not to play in the large oak tree at the edge of her grandfather's property. But being a tomboy, Sam immediately forgot the warning as soon as she saw the old, massive tree.

Half an hour later she had fallen out the tree and her brother was struggling to get her back to the old farmhouse. Everything was spinning, her head was bleeding and for some reason she couldn't get her legs to work right. She kept stumbling so he hauled her up and carried her halfway back.

Her father had seen them from a distance and ran out to meet them. That time it was a slight concussion and a badly sprained ankle that had her laid up for the rest of their vacation.

She'd never forgotten the look of horror on her father's face when he lifted her into his arms or the look of utter relief when he realized she would be okay. A chip off the old block he had called her. Apparently he'd had run-ins with the same tree and they both had hard heads, in more ways than one.

It was one of her favorite memories because every day her dad would carry her down the stairs to breakfast, and every night he carried her up to her room. Sometimes he would read with her, or play chess, but mostly they just talked until she fell asleep safe in his arms.

She had gotten a lot closer to her dad those few days. Everything had been perfect - until her dad had to go back to work and they left the farm. They weren't close again for a very long time after that. Her dad's work always seemed more important to him than she was.

Now that she was all grown up it seemed the Air Force was again getting in the way of her being close to someone . . .

From far away she could hear someone calling her name, probably the Colonel. But she couldn't quite make out what he was saying. Too far away. Too tired. Sorry, sir. She relinquished herself to the memories and dreamed.

* * *

The Colonel and Teal'c, still carrying Sam, stepped away from the ring platform on the planet and darted from the clearing into a nearby stand of trees. 

Teal'c gently lay Carter against a nearby tree. "Major Carter requires medical attention," he observed. "She is delirious. She spoke to me as if she were addressing Jacob Carter."

Jack's head spun around. "That bad, huh?" He spoke to Teal'c but never took his eyes off Carter's pale face. "All we can do is keep her warm and as comfortable as possible until we can get her home. Any idea where we left the Stargate?"

"I believe it is just south of our present position. We can be there in twenty minutes. What of Daniel Jackson?"

At those words, Jack tore his eyes from Sam to regard the Jaffa with an unreadable expression. Ducking his head Jack sighed. Nobody gets left behind. But Carter was hurt, how bad he couldn't tell, but shock was nothing to play around with.

"You and Carter get to the gate. It won't be long before they realize we've escaped. Report to Hammond and tell him what happened here. I'm going after Daniel."

"O'Neill, would not the most prudent course…"

"Teal'c, I need you to make sure that Carter gets home. I'm depending on you big guy."

"You are not well." Teal'c observed.

"I've been better." Jack acknowledged, "Look, I'm his commanding officer. I can't leave one of my team members behind. I know you understand. Now, I'm betting that those 'enemies' that Goa'uld sacrificed today have a base somewhere in this area. And that they have something to do with Daniel's disappearance. "

"I concur. Go safely, O'Neill."

"You too." Jack watched as Teal'c gently scooped up Carter again, and froze.

"What, T?" The Colonel inquired. At the Jaffa's lack of response Jack said, "There's someone behind me, isn't there?"

As the Colonel turned to follow his friend's gaze he came face to face with an energy weapon held in the hands of a very large and very angry warrior.

"Aw, for cryin' out **_loud_**! What does it **_take_** to catch a break around here!" he griped, throwing his hands up. "You know what, I give up! Just take us to your leader, already!"

With that he pushed past the speechless warrior and led the way through the dense underbrush followed by Teal'c carrying Sam, and the remaining warriors.

* * *

Daniel woke to pain, waves and waves of it. Groaning he moved into somewhat of a sitting up position. This was worse than the frequent migraines he suffered from in college when he went too many days and nights without eating and sleeping properly. This was way different. God, his head felt like someone had driven a spike through it while he slept. 

Back in the control room with Huantar the pain had been manageable, but now - it was barely tolerable! Pressing his hands against his head and rocking back and forth, Daniel wondered again why the machine repaired his shoulder but not his head injury. _"Must have something to do with the malfunction that caused the sleep chamber controls to go offline,"_ he reasoned.

Chancing a look at his watch through eyes squinted nearly shut against the light, he realized with a start that over two hours had passed while he slept. Taking a deep breath Daniel swung his legs slowly over the edge of the bed. Massaging his temples in small circles seemed to help ease the throbbing.

"There, that's much better," Daniel sighed after a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. Suddenly he remembered the Tylenol and morphine in his pack which lay against the wall near the cracked door.

"_It would be a good idea to dose up now, just in case the pain gets worse"_, he thought.

As he shuffled toward the pack a sound outside the room startled him. Not really knowing why, Daniel peered quietly through the cracked doorway instead of walking out into the waiting area.

A dark figure was kneeling in front of what the archaeologist presumed was a small altar. In hushed tones the figure kept repeating the same thing over and over again in a language that was unknown to Daniel.

Unknown but not entirely unfamiliar. The linguist could just make out some of the words. God-Serpent-Sun and a couple of other word…Erase, Time and Nawata? But he couldn't be sure. Daniel thought for a moment, squeezing his eyes shut as he struggled to bring to the surface a forgotten memory.

Huantar said his people were the Nawata. Nawata. Nahuatl? It's a derivative of the Aztec word nahuall which means speech or tongue. Nahuatl.

But to his knowledge there was no Aztec word Nawata. He thought for a moment. Maybe it wasn't a derivative after all. Maybe it was the original base word nahuall was derived from. But that would mean that these people aren't the _descendants_ of the ancient Aztecs, they _are_ the ancient Aztecs!

"If the Nawata are an offshoot of the ancient Aztecs that would mean they existed hundreds of years before the Aztecs we know on earth. Problem is that usually the Goa'uld _removed_ people from earth and resettled them on other planets not the other way around. And that still doesn't explain how they came to be on P3X-929. What is really going on here?"

Puzzled, his thoughts turned to the glyphs on the wall. They were slightly different in style and color but, yes, he could see it now. It was all suddenly clear as crystal. He could see in his minds eye the distinct patterns and their similarities to the ancient Aztec writing he briefly studied in college.

Taking into account how the styles might have changed over, say hundreds of years – okay, now he had a point of reference to work from. Even if he had to work backwards, he was now sure he could decipher the symbols on the wall. It would just take a little time.

As much as he liked Huantar, he knew the man was hiding something from him. Something that could be vital in helping him find his friends. If Huantar wouldn't tell him, he'd just have to read the writing on the wall.

He needed his field journal. Looking up through the open door, Daniel realized that the dark figure was gone and a small ornate box was left on top of the altar. As he moved to approach the box he heard his name called from the main doorway.

"Daniel Jackson" Huantar called moving to meet him halfway.

"Has there been any news about my friends?"

"Our men were able to drive my enemies from the caves and back to the surface. However, none of the patrols has reported seeing your friends. I am sorry." Huantar turned toward one of the other interior rooms. "If you will excuse me, I must meditate now."

"_He meditates too_?" Daniel thought in wonder.

"What about the Stargate?" the archaeologist inquired, as Huantar passed him to retire.

"Even now we are fighting for control of it. I'm afraid that I cannot spare any men to aid you in reaching it."

"Then I'll get there on my own."

"You will remain here!" a voice bellowed from the doorway. Roktan strode forward and regarded Daniel with a menacing scowl.

"Noooo, I'm going" Daniel said evenly and firmly. "It seems I've worn out my welcome here, anyway."

"I'm afraid I must agree with Roktan, Daniel. You would be far too much of a threat to us if you were somehow captured. You know too much about us and this base."

"Huantar, if I can get to the gate, I can send back reinforcements from my planet to not only help look for my friends, but to help your people fight the Goa'uld. We can both benefit from this."

"I'm sorry Daniel." Huantar shook his head. "Do not try to escape this base. My men have orders to stop you - by force if necessary."

Stunned at this turn of events, Daniel could only watch as Roktan escorted Huantar past Daniel to his private quarters. Suddenly Huantar hesitated and pointed to the small box on the altar. Moving to pick it up the leader wore a bewildered expression on his face as if the box were out of place.

Everything began to move in slow motion. At least it did to Daniel. Realization hit him just as surely as if it had reached out and punched him in the gut, leaving him breathless.

Huantar didn't recognize the box, the dark figure, the chant. What did it mean? _"Translate Jackson, that's what they pay you for! God—Serpent--Sun—Erase—Time?…May the God of the Serpent Sun Erase the Nawata Time. No, no, no! That doesn't make sense. May the **Serpent Sun God**- not erase – **Obliterate** the _**_Nawata_**_- not time- **Forever**!"_

"Oh my God, the saboteur," Daniel breathed out just as Huantar began to lift the top of the box.

"No!" the young linguist bellowed and with all his might he launched himself at Huantar.

_**To Be Continued? **_

_**Please let me know that you read Chapter 4 and whether or not you enjoyed it by sending me a review! **_

_**Constructive criticism is always welcome. **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: Some of you have commented on it being a little uncharacteristic to have Sam 'fainting' in the last chapter. Just hold on – I'm getting to the reason why soon. Please continue to review and offer advice, it really helps! Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I wish I did!**_

* * *

_Everything began to move in slow motion. At least it did to Daniel. Realization hit him just as surely as if it had reached out and punched him in the gut, leaving him breathless. _

_Huantar didn't recognize the box, the dark figure, the chant. What did it mean? __"Translate Jackson, that's what they pay you for! God—Serpent--Sun—Erase—Time?…May the God of the Serpent Sun erase the Nawata Time. No, no, no! That doesn't make any sense. May the __**Serpent Sun God**__- not erase – __**Obliterate**__ the _**_Nawata_**_- not time- __**Forever**__!"_

"_Oh my God, the saboteur," Daniel breathed out just as Huantar began to lift the top of the box._

"_No!" the young linguist bellowed and with all his might he launched himself at Huantar._

* * *

Daniel instinctively knew he had acted too late.

How could he not have seen this before! According to the conversation he overheard between Huantar and Taloc, they knew there was a saboteur in their midst and that he could still be among them.

Arching his body in mid-air Daniel reached Huantar and struck out at the box effectively hurling it upward and away from the Aztec leader. A beat later the box exploded hurling sharp daggers of debris in all directions.

Covering Huantar's body with his own the archaeologist screamed in agony as shards from the crude grenade tore into his body and the concussion wave hurled him and Huantar into the far wall. They both crashed heavily to the floor unmoving.

* * *

Jack studied Sam's face as she slept. She didn't appear to be in shock anymore, just sleeping which was a good sign. She had stopped moving about restlessly in her sleep some time ago.

Now she appeared to be in the midst of a deep healing slumber. His own queasiness and lightheadedness was slowly diminishing, he noted gratefully.

They had been brought to the underground cavern beneath the temple and unceremoniously thrown into a cell. The walls were stone and there was one small flat cot in the room.

Apparently, these new folks were none too happy about seeing Teal'c. They looked like they were about to tear him limb from limb, but O'Neill had managed to do some quick talking and somewhat convinced them that Teal'c was no danger to them. It was enough to keep them from harming Teal'c, but not enough to keep them from being locked up.

So, O'Neill had stood at the iron bars, reminiscent of so many other cells they had been thrown into throughout the years, demanding to be taken to whoever was in charge. However, his demands fell on deaf ears.

His request for water, however, did not and he quickly offered some to a semi-conscious Carter. Letting her sip slowly until her thirst was satisfied. Then he and Teal'c drank, saving as much as they could for later. That was hours ago.

Waiting in the cell, sitting on the cot next to Sam, Jack had time to ponder. He had fought alongside Carter the soldier so long that he sometimes forgot she was also Sam the woman. Almost. He always noticed her loveliness at the most inconvenient times.

Like that time when they made camp off world on P8X-whatever and after dinner he couldn't help but notice how lovely she looked by the firelight. He had found himself mesmerized. What was that tune his father used to hum? You'd be so nice by the fire - He stopped himself before he hummed too much of the song for anyone to recognize but afterward he had caught Daniel giving him a strange look.

When they were on Earth it took every effort not to notice her when every other man on base did. No one knew how hard it was. There was something there but he wouldn't – couldn't allow himself the luxury of feeling it.

Jack reached up absently to smooth stray wisps of blond hair from Sam's forehead. He knew realistically that there was no such thing as a super soldier. Even though it was sometimes easy to forget.

Carter was just always so good at everything. She perfectly balanced her role as scientist, soldier and being just one of the guys. She was one of the strongest people he knew. That was why he had been really worried for her - he hadn't expected that reaction from her.

But somehow Teal'c did know. He stepped in front of her at the exact moment of the first sacrifice.

Jack turned to look at Teal'c at the opposite side of the cell resting in a posture similar to the one he used to take up when he engaged in kel-no-reem. Now that he was on tretonin, he didn't need to kel-no-reem anymore, but old habits die hard.

Teal'c knew that he was sick even though he had tried to hide it. His gaze shifted to peer more intently at the large man.

If anyone fit the bill as a super soldier it was Teal'c. And he had been Apophis' first prime for – how long? Jack didn't remember. All he knew was that he had been a much feared and highly skilled warrior. Most people mistook the Jaffa's bulk and tremendous strength to mean that he was unfeeling and unapproachable.

Nothing was further from the truth. Out of all of them he was the one who was the most in tune with everyone else's emotions, especially Daniel's.

"Daniel – God!" O'Neill started suddenly at the thought of his wayward archaeologist. Teal'c looked up from his meditation. Wincing an apology for having disturbed Teal'c, the Colonel turned his mind to the immediate task at hand.

Escaping, finding Daniel and getting home.

* * *

Daniel was aware of movement to his left but for some reason he couldn't move. He wanted to but his body would not respond to his mind's commands. Fire ebbed and flowed through his wounded body as Huantar came into view, hovering over his head along with Roktan.

They were shouting at him and at each other, but Daniel couldn't hear the words. He tried to speak but instead fell into a fit of coughing. "_Hurts to breathe, can't get enough air!"_, he thought as the pain flared up again with each breath.

Far away in the background he heard something. Someone moaning long, ragged, heartbreaking moans. Someone else was hurt! _"Help them!"_ he willed Huantar and Roktan, unable to speak aloud. But they didn't move. Instead they continued to minister to him, attending to his wounds. He couldn't seem to get enough air.

Then he realized incredulously, _"Me!? God, that's me! I'm dying…I don't want to die alone!" _His thoughts turned to his teammates as he slowly comprehended that they may have already met a similar fate.

A single tear tracked down his cheek at the thought of never seeing them again. The thought of never being able to say good-bye stabbed him as sharply as the shrapnel had."I'm sorry, Jack." he managed to whisper.

Grief and disappointment at his failure to help his friends overwhelmed him and he sobbed freely. _"At least they have each other." _He tried to comfort himself with that thought as everything started to dim and then finally blacked out.

"Get him to the sarcophagus, quickly" barked Huantar. Personnel had begun pouring into the chamber shortly after the blast. A small team came forward with medical supplies and efficiently began preparing Daniel to be moved. Gently they lifted him onto a thin stretcher and whisked him away to be treated.

"What happened!" Taloc arrived out of breath and narrowly missed running into one of the stretcher bearers. "My lord are you injured?", he queried eyeing the gash above Huantar's left eyebrow and his bloody and tattered clothing.

"Its nothing, I'll be alright. I can't say the same for Daniel Jackson. He protected me from the main force of the blast. They have taken him to the sarcophagus for treatment."

"How did this happen?" Taloc's eyes darted from his leader to Roktan. "You are the chief of security. It is your duty to find and eliminate all dangers to our lord. How could you not have detected this!"

"I was doing my duty escorting Huantar to his quarters. The device was left in the outer area!" Roktan's was growing increasingly angry at the implied meaning of Taloc's words. The men under his command drew up closer behind him showing their support for their leader.

"Why have you not told your people to routinely check the base for suspicious devices especially since we know that there is a saboteur?" Taloc responded hotly. His own men drew close behind him nodding in agreement to his words. Angry words began to spew from both parties.

"E-nough!" All talking and activity in the chamber ceased as everyone turned to look at a very angry Huantar. Speaking so that all could hear Huantar continued.

"We will not resort to blaming one another for this crisis! Our true enemy is trying to pit us one against the other and to destroy us both from within and without. We have survived far worse than this."

"We must band together now in order to stop this enemy. Not tear at each other's throats! Or have you so quickly forgotten there are still others who are depending on us for their very survival. Those still trapped in the stasis chambers. Your little ones. Your families."

"If we do not remain united, we are as good as defeated." He paused and looking at each bowed head in turn he said, "Everyone return to your stations. Roktan, have your men search the base thoroughly for any other similar devices. They are to investigate anything that appears suspicious."

Turning to Taloc he said, "Taloc, you are to gather the council members together and set up a team to determine everyone's whereabouts this afternoon. Question everyone starting with the Council members themselves and work your way down. I want this traitor found immediately!"

As each person moved back to their station, one individual lagged behind.

Watching the others hurry off down the corridors a sinister smile slowly spread across his face and his eyes glowed. Speaking into the communications device he kept hidden in his tunic he said, "Ready our forces to attack the base on my word. He escaped the bomb but the damage has been done. Soon he will be dead."

_**TBC**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: **_

_**Thanks to all for your helpful suggestions and critiques. I couldn't do it without you! I LOVE the feedback I'm getting and I truly do appreciate all the comments. But go a little easy on me – I edited this one myself so any mistakes are mine alone.**_

_**Pettygrew- Sharp eye! Thanks, keep it comin!**_

_**Krysalis- I know - I agree with you completely!**_

_**Devianttart- Yep - Watch for more evil cliff-hangers to come!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but - if only!**_

_**As each person moved back to their station, one individual lagged behind. **_

_**Watching the others hurry off down the corridors a sinister smile slowly spread across his face and his eyes glowed. Speaking into the communications device he kept hidden in his tunic he said, "Ready our forces to attack the base on my word. He escaped the bomb but the damage has been done. Soon he will be dead."**_

The faint but steady glow from the machines was the only light in the stasis chamber. Huantar slowly approached one set of occupants. Reaching out a hand he softly caressed the woman's cheek.

"My love, my life," he whispered as tears streamed down his face.

Itara was a beautiful woman of regal bearing with high cheekbones and jet black hair. And blue eyes. A rarity among his people. Even so, their two young sons had inherited those same eyes.

She was a wise companion and wonderful mother. A beautiful and shrewd co-ruler with him, she completed him, she strengthened him, she was his beloved. Her presence was missed greatly not only by him, but by all.

Now, it was uncertain whether or not she and the rest of their people would be freed from what had become their prison in the chambers.

A saboteur was at work trying to destroy them from the inside out. Their enemy had found them and was engaging in battle with his men on the surface of the planet right now.

After Daniel Jackson helped free the first group from the chambers, the decision was reached to leave some of their people in stasis for now, including non-essential personnel and children.

Itara was among those not revived so that if for some reason none of them survived, she would be able to lead the survivors if and when they were revived in the future. Once their oldest son came of age, he would lead their people.

"This was not the way things were intended to take place." The memories of what they had all been through came flooding back to him along with the regrets. If only there had been another way.

"Huantar." a voice from behind startled him.

"Yes, Roktan?" Huantar turned away from his friend as he spoke but Roktan moved around to face him.

"No one must see you like this. The people will think you weak and unworthy to rule. You must not let your emotions rule you."

"I know Roktan." Huantar looked up to face Roktan, his eyes still red-rimmed. "But they are my family. No one can expect me not to feel their loss, not to miss them."

"Our people can! They look to you for strength! If you show weakness and lose face now, there is no telling what will become of us."

"What are you saying?" Huantar searched his cousin's face. "Are you saying they will abandon our ways in favor of our enemy? Why would you of all people believe that Roktan?"

Roktan replied in a reluctant tone, "I have heard talk among the men. They are saying that you led them out here among the stars only to die a meaningless death. They are saying they would have rather taken their stand in the valleys on Earth. Familiar ground where they could have stood a fighting chance against the Sun Serpent."

"You know as well as I do that we had no other choice."

"Of course, I know." Roktan moved closer to Huantar speaking soothingly.

"I am only saying that you must put up a strong front however difficult that may be. And give our people what they expect. Strong, unwavering leadership. My lord." He added the last words almost as an afterthought.

"_Almost condescendingly,"_ Huantar thought, the old anger flaring up in him a bit. Old memories stirred in the back of the young leader's mind.

As children, he and Roktan were always in competition with one another. Only a month apart in age, Roktan being the older, they quickly assumed the role of rivals. This was a result of their upbringing, each of their fathers wanting to prove that his son was the swiftest, the brightest, the strongest.

As part of the tlahtoque class, the nobility, they both had been pushed hard and far very quickly. Both grew strong and well-respected in the community sometimes sharing the same strengths and weaknesses. But more often than not they were at odds with one another. Most notably Huantar was the more compassionate while Roktan tended to deal with others with a harsh hand.

Huantar always knew that Roktan felt he deserved to be leader over their people, even though he was not in line to do so. His cousin had all but said so when they were younger. Until they had gone through the cueponi-ohtli, rite of passage and Roktan's attitude had changed.

Both boys, seventeen years old, considered themselves men and had undergone the rite together as was the custom for young men their age. They spent weeks in specialized training and finally were put to the test by spending an entire moon alone in the high country, relying only on themselves to survive.

Not long into their self-imposed exile they ran into trouble. They were pushing their way through the forest hunting game. Thick underbrush covered the forest floor making it difficult for them to sneak up on their prey. As they picked their way carefully along, a tletl tocatl, Fire Spider dropped down on Roktan's neck injecting him with its venomous poison.

For many nights Huantar sat beside the fire at their camp caring for Roktan fighting to keep his fever under control. Just as he thought he may need to go for help, the fever broke and Roktan recovered quickly.

Later in the cueponi-ohtli, walking down along a cliff face single file to reach a water source below, Huantar slipped and found himself dangling hundreds of feet off the rocky ground beneath. The only thing preventing him from falling was – Roktan.

He looked up to see his cousin straining against the weight of his burden, trying not to be pulled over the edge himself. For what seemed like an eternity they stared in each other's eyes and Huantar thought he saw a flash in Roktan's eyes as if he were contemplating letting go. But in that split second it was gone and in moments the boys were on safe ground panting side by side and clapping each other on the back. It had been a close one.

After these experiences they became close friends and when it came time for Huantar to choose his own security contingent he never hesitated to choose Roktan.

Just as Roktan stretched out his arm to clasp Huantar on the shoulder, Taloc entered the room slightly out of breath, startling both men.

"Your presence is requested by the sentries, Roktan."

Roktan withdrew his hand an unreadable expression on his face.

"Go, I will follow you shortly," Huantar ordered him.

Once Roktan left the room, Huantar turned to Taloc, "What results have your investigation yielded?"

* * *

He felt like he was floating. Floating on a thick cottony cloud high above everything else. It was a very pleasant feeling, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Soon, Daniel heard voices speaking the dialect of the Nawata people. Such a beautiful language he thought lazily. I wish I had time to study it more closely.

The voices were speaking slowly at first, garbled and incomprehensible. Then as Daniel's awareness increased he realized that the voices were loud and pitched high. They were arguing. Over him? The archaeologist struggled to rouse himself from the fog he was in only to let out a low moan, the pain of his injuries erupting again. Abruptly the voices stopped.

Someone's hand caressed his forehead, "Cochi, cochi, mocehuia," the voice said.

_Cochi? Sleep? They wanted him to sleep. _

_N-n-notzontecon…_Daniel struggled to get the words past parched lips_._

"You are in good hands, Daniel Jackson. Everything will be just fine. Mocehuia."

_Mocehuia, rest. Okay._ Daniel thought dazedly. Instinctively trusting the gentle voice, Daniel allowed himself to drift back on the soft, cottony cloud and fall into a deep sleep.

"We don't know if he will be fine or not, Vonpa. You hear how he is complaining of his head injury. He is badly hurt. The sarcophagus may not heal him totally. Remember the first time? It healed the less serious injury but not the other."

"Quiet, Roncari." Vonpa hissed angrily shooting a glance at Daniel to be sure he remained asleep. "We have no other choice but to try. We both took the oath as ticitl, to do our best to improve the health of those who are not well."

"But without doing further harm!" Roncari hissed back.

"Yet, if we do not do this he will surely die without the treatment. Then we will both have to answer to Huantar." Vonpa expertly pointed out. Sighing and speaking more softly he patted the shoulder of his colleague, "At least he will have a chance at survival."

Reluctantly Roncari agreed and together they gently lifted Daniel into the sarcophagus.

"Why do you suppose he did it?"

"What?" Vonpa asked, not taking his eyes off the delicate settings he was adjusting.

"Risked his own life for Huantar, a man he barely knows."

"There must be some good people out there in the universe, Roncari. They can not all be as terrible as the Sun Serpent and his followers. We have to believe that. And this man proves it."

After a moment's reflection, Roncari replied, "I suppose you must be right. If all of Daniel Jackson's people are like him, they would make a most worthy ally against the Sun Serpent and his forces."

"I'm sure Huantar has considered this. Do not worry, old friend. We are not defeated yet."

Adjusting the control settings one last time, they checked their patient's vitals once more and departed the room unsure of whether or not anything could be done for the young explorer.

* * *

O'Neill paced back and forth in the small cell he shared with Teal'c and Carter. Eager to do something, he found he could no longer sit still. Carter woke several hours ago and despite being a little dehydrated, appeared to be her old self again.

"I don't know how to describe it, Sir. I just suddenly couldn't function anymore. It was like my body decided to shut down and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I've never experienced anything like it before."

"Yeah, well. Shock does have a tendency to do that to you, Carter." Eyeing her closely he moved to sit beside her on the cot.

"Carter, you don't have to make excuses. It's ok. You were sick and now you're better. As a matter of fact I wasn't feeling too hunky-dory myself. But I'm better now and I'm just glad you are too. You gave us both quite a scare back there, right Teal'c?"

The big man nodded and moved to sit cross-legged in front of his companions on the floor.

Hanging her head and pointedly looking at her feet, the Major said in a low voice, "But I _fainted_, Sir. I'm sorry. I – I've never been so embarrassed."

"Oh, really?" Jack said giving Teal'c a sidelong glance. "What about that time our first year out of the gate when we went to that planet and you drank that stuff that made you - - -"

"Okay, okay, Sir. I get the point." Her face turning slightly red. _Good to finally see some color in those cheeks,_ O'Neill thought to himself satisfied with her reaction.

"I too found that day most amusing, Major Carter," supplied Teal'c.

"Et tu, Teal'c?" At his raised eyebrow she chuckled. "Never mind."

Both Sam and Jack grinned at the thought of that particular event. Even Teal'c had a bemused smile on his upturned lips.

"So where are we and who are we dealing with, Sir?"

They all jumped as a voice thundered from the cell door. "More to the point – Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

* * *

Huantar and Taloc walked slowly down the corridor toward the control room, as they rounded the corner Taloc began speaking in a low voice.

"Our preliminary reports all point to one person who could be behind the mal-functions and the attempt on your life."

"And?"

"Roktan." Was the one word reply he received. The Nawata leader stopped short, stunned by this news. He struggled to take in this new information. His trusted friend was behind this? His security advisor?

"How?" He finally spat out.

"He was the only person with access codes to the stasis chambers. It took some time to find out but just before the last group was sent into stasis, he reprogrammed the system to change all the codes to ones that only he knew."

"How do you know that?"

"He was the last person to access the main control systems just before we all went into stasis. Once we found that out it was easy to determine what commands he used."

Huantar shook his head in disbelief.

"There's more. He programmed the computer to wake him before the rest of us. That would have given him plenty of time to sabotage the systems."

"But why would he program the system to wake us at all? Why not just kill us all while we slept." Huantar said bitterly.

"Our guess is that he made some mistake in programming the system. Or perhaps there was some true mal-function. He may have only awakened a short time before you yourself were awakened by the sensors that Daniel Jackson triggered in the caverns."

"So he may have been unable to fully complete his mission. Therefore, he had to find another way to destroy us without arousing suspicion to himself at this time. No doubt he contacted the Sun Serpent who is occupying our men in battle while he is free to destroy us from inside."

"He was also alone during the time just prior to meeting yourself and Daniel Jackson at your sleeping quarters. He told his men that he was going to the caverns to check on the progress of the 9th squad, but he never arrived there. He could have planted the box and come back to meet you in time to 'escort' you back to your own death."

The young leader's shoulders drooped. He thought again of their experiences during the rite of passage. "Everyone was screened before we left Earth, were they not?"

"Yes, but-" Taloc stopped.

"What?"

Sucking in a breath Huantar realized the answer to his own question. Roktan was in charge of the screening process.

* * *

"We're peaceful explorers?" O'Neill winced slightly. _That's Daniel's line_, he thought, _it sounds strange coming from me_. He stood facing the man in the doorway.

The man looked at them suspiciously. He obviously did not believe them. He was a tall robust man with long dark hair, similar in appearance to the other Indian peoples they had encountered.

"Your clothing tells another story," he said suspiciously eyeing the robes they donned. Jack could only say "Uh, we can explain this. We're not really priests-"

"My men found you lurking near our outpost. What were you doing there? Are you spies sent by the Sun Serpent?"

"Lurking?" Jack managed to looked offended.

"Sir." The colonel looked sideways at Carter who was shooting him telepathic daggers with her eyes. Funny, how she was able to convey so much with just that one word.

Turning back to their captor, Jack said "No, no, nothing like that. Look, if you just give us a chance to explain we can clear up this whole - misunderstanding. We are peaceful explorers from a planet called Earth. We don't mean you any harm. We weren't spying, we didn't even know that there was anyone living on this planet. We thought it was abandoned."

The man raised an eyebrow at this information. "As we wanted you to believe."

"Look we're not the enemy here," insisted O'Neill, his voice rising a little.

"Bring them, our Lord will decide what to do with them."

"Oh God, not another Lord," whined Jack. He rolled his eyes heavenward as they were herded out of the cell.

A low distant hum nudged him half-awake. Weak and unable to cry out, Daniel vaguely wondered if he were in a sarcophagus and if he was why was he awake. He had never awakened in the middle of a 'healing cycle'. Musing on this he quickly fell into unconsciousness again as the low hum grew stronger.

"Sir, I don't think these are the same people we encountered before at the - sacrificial ritual." She paused over the last two words, no doubt vividly remembering it.

"Oh, What makes you say that, Carter?"

"Well, for one thing even though they also strongly resemble one another the attitude is all wrong."

"Meaning."

"Meaning that before they were preaching gloom and doom to all opposers and ripping people's hearts out. Basically, like Goa'uld, sir. And now, they're willing to listen to our explanation of who we are and how we got here."

At her companion's blank looks she added. "I'm saying we should have been dead already, Sir."

"Well, thank you, Major. That's very comforting to know. Any other observations you want to make me aware of?" he added sarcastically.

At her silence he turned again wondering why they were brought to this place. They had been ushered to this room by several guards and left to wait while the man who interrogated them earlier went to summon his "lord".

"Obviously they don't perceive us as a threat." She offered, gazing around the busy room.

"Does this place remind you guys of anything?" O'Neill ventured.

"It does indeed strongly resemble the control room of a Goa'uld mothership," noted Teal'c.

"Right. But not exactly. There are some differences."

Carter spoke up then. "Sir, over there."

Looking in the direction she gestured O'Neill stiffened. Walking swiftly over to the empty control station he bent down to pick something up. Jack wore a grim look on his face as he turned back to his team. In his hand he held Daniel's journal.

tbc


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note: **_

_**I know some of you are a pretty freaked out about leaving Daniel in the sarcophagus all this time, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll let him out soon! See additional notations below.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but - oh, if only!**_

"_It does indeed resemble the control room of a Goa'uld mothership," offered Teal'c._

"_Right. But not exactly. There are some differences."_

_Carter spoke up then. "Sir, over there."_

_Looking in the direction she gestured O'Neill stiffened. Walking swiftly over to the empty control station he bent down to pick something up. Jack wore a grim look on his face as he turned back to his team. In his hand he held Daniel's journal._

* * *

The low hum turned into a steady whine, which grew slightly higher in pitch. Daniel tossed restlessly in the cramped space of the sarcophagus as new waves of pain gripped him. Barely aware of his surroundings his mind struggled with the thought that something was wrong. But what? Where was he? Had he been buried alive?

"No, no I'm not dead! I'm not dead!" He cried. A small voice inside him added, "_at least not __yet_." Another old memory surfaced unexpectedly. After his parents had been buried he dreamt often that it had all been a mistake and they had been buried alive. Just like some servants in ancient Egypt who were buried alive in the tombs of the dead pharaohs. It was only later that in the dreams he himself was the one that was buried alive and left to die alone.

"Can anyone hear me?" he called faintly. No one responded. _I'm alone, he thought, again. God, I don't want to die alone. _Fighting the panic and struggling to remember what happened, Daniel took a deep breath.

Fire-laced agony ripped down his side. Crying out in agony, he nearly lost consciousness once again.

Grinding his teeth against the pain Daniel slowly realized that he was not buried alive, but was indeed in a sarcophagus. He vaguely remembered being hurt and then a kind voice was soothing him back to sleep telling him that he would be alright. But something was terribly wrong now. He was not alright and he needed to find a way out. Or at least get the attention of someone on the outside.

As soon as the throbbing ebbed somewhat, he began weakly feeling around for a latch of some kind all the while silently praying for a release from the pain.

* * *

"What are your instructions, my Lord?" Taloc inquired. "Shall I have Roktan arrested?"

Huantar considered for a moment. "Leave him and observe him for now. If he is truly the saboteur we will soon know."

"My lord," they were interrupted by one of Roktan's men. "Roktan has requested your presence at the control center. He wishes you present for the interrogation of three prisoners.

"Very well," Huantar dismissed the young man. Thinking back to his earlier conversation with Roktan, he turned to Taloc saying, "Make discreet inquires among the men. Find out if he has managed to sway any to be loyal only to him and report back to me."

"We know he _was_ here, so tell us where he is _now_!" barked the Colonel to the returning guards.

"To whom are you referring?"

"As if you didn't know! Daniel, Daniel Jackson! He's a member of my team. About so tall, light brown hair, glasses –

"Actually, we have his glasses, sir!"

O'Neill paused, "Well, he's dressed like us-" O'Neill stopped - staring down at the incriminating priestly robes they all wore.

"Oh for cryin' out loud!" O'Neill stripped off the robes and threw them down, the others following suit.

"See? You _happy_ now!" Seeing a glimmer of recognition in the guards faces, he pressed on. "Now where – is – Daniel - Jackson!" he ground out stonily.

The men shared an uneasy sideways glance then turning they hastily left the room.

After a short time two men entered the control room. O'Neill watched them carefully as they approached.

One was the man who had them brought to the control room after their first short 'interview'. The other looked so much like him that the two could have been brothers. The latter had a grim look on his face.

"I am Huantar, leader of the Nawata people. You have already met Roktan my security chief. You are friends of Daniel Jackson?" Huantar looked back and forth from Jack to Teal'c and then Sam, his eyes lingering on each one appraisingly, then back to Jack again.

Teal'c responded, "We were separated shortly after we arrived through the Stargate. We need to find him immediately."

Holding up the brown field journal Jack tried again, "Look, we know he was here. This belongs to him. We're not your enemy, all we want to do is find our friend and get back to the Stargate."

The look Huantar gave Roktan made Jack's internal alarm start blaring. In an instant he read their body language as easily as if they had spoken. Daniel had been here, they knew where he was now, and he wasn't in good shape.

"He is here, alive, although gravely injured."

O'Neill felt his heart drop. He exchanged knowing glances with Teal'c and Carter. So Daniel was injured in his fall through the door at the temple after all. "_God, Danny, he thought_." Out loud he asked, "How bad?"

"Come with us. Our healers are doing what they can for him. This way."

* * *

"Hey! That's Daniel's pack! What happened here?" O'Neill asked, his attention on the crewmen working to clear the sleep quarters of debris. Daniel's pack lay tossed haphazardly to the side. Roktan and Huantar had been escorting them to the Nawatan's medical labs.

"An explosion caused by an enemy. Daniel Jackson saved my life. That is how he was injured again."

"What! We thought he was hurt falling through the trap door at the temple." Sam looked up from her examination of the pack's contents.

"He was. Most of his injuries were healed by placing him within our sarcophagus."

"Sarcophagus?" Teal'c and Jack spoke in unison. "You mean he's been in that thing more than once?" Jack's voice was rising in volume.

"Yes, twice before, he did however, continue to complain about his head injury. I believe he was in good deal of pain. I cannot explain why our technology did not heal him completely."

"Just like me." Sam said under her breath.

"What was that, Carter?"

"Sir, this sounds an awful lot like what happened to me. After we were injured in the fire-fight in the caverns, Teal'c said he thought you and I had more serious injuries and were taken to a sarcophagus to be healed."

O'Neill nodded.

"The only thing is, it must not have completely worked. You said you weren't feeling well for a while. And I went into shock later on. Don't you see, there must be a connection of some kind."

"So what is it?"

"I don't know. I'm just saying that there must be one. Perhaps our physiology is just different enough from these people that their technology doesn't quite work on us. Or maybe there are some other unknown variables we haven't discovered yet. Either way this probably explains why we were ill even though we had been in the sarcophagus. The difference was that our bodies recovered on their own in time. Daniel must have had an injury that was more severe than either of ours."

"That would be a true assumption," Huantar said. "Our technology and that of our enemy are most likely similar if not identical." Roktan glanced at him disapprovingly, but Huantar ignored him.

"If that's true, then we need to get him back to the SGC right away." Carter's eyes were wide with concern.

"I know that, Major!" O'Neill bellowed startling everyone. In a slightly more normal tone he added, "Believe me, I want him out of that thing as soon as possible."

Shouldering Daniel's pack, Sam nodded and hung back slightly falling into step next to Teal'c. Try as she might, she couldn't keep her mind from mentally calculating how much exposure to the sarcophagus it would take for Daniel to become addicted again. _"Probably not as much as the last time, which also puts him in a very dangerous position no matter what injuries he had sustained", _she surmised.

Of course, it had been quite some time since he had become addicted on Shyla's planet. Even so, if she figured correctly from what Huantar said, this was Daniel's third exposure to the technology in a very short period of time. Technology that was either faulty or, because of their differing physiology, causing more harm to their already weakened bodies. This wasn't good at all.

"I too am concerned for Daniel Jackson, Major Carter." Teal'c unexpectedly spoke as if reading her thoughts.

Nodding a quick acknowledgement to Teal'c, Sam concentrated on listening to the conversation going on between O'Neill and Huantar.

"How badly was he hurt in the explosion, Hunter." O'Neill asked again, oblivious of his mispronunciation. He was anxious to get to his archaeologist.

Huantar took a deep breath before beginning. "He tried to warn me before the explosion. He knocked me back and took the brunt of the blast, shielding me. He was barely alive when our healers took him."

"Colonel O'Neill," Roktan broke in, "We would like for you and your team to participate in a discussion about your time with our enemy. You may have inadvertently gained information that may be of great tactical advantage to us."

"Yes, Colonel, we would be most appreciative of any assistance you may be able to give. Particularly any details you may give us regarding just how you managed to escape."

Looking around at the others, O'Neill nodded muttering a few words of affirmation. It would do them no good not to be honest with these folks. They were at their mercy and besides, these Indians were definitely different from the other ones. One clue was that they appeared to be at war with the other group.

Hastily he brought their hosts up to date on how they were ambushed, captured and subsequently escaped. Although he looked calm to the outside observer, his team could tell that inside he was fighting for control of his emotions. When he had finished, a grim silence fell upon the group as they covered the remaining distance to the medical labs.

"If you will excuse me, my Lord," Roktan said as they stood at the entrance to the labs, "I would like to check on the progress of my men above ground."

Huantar's eyes narrowed at this, recalling his earlier conversation with Taloc. Could Roktan be using the arrival of Daniel Jackson's friends as an opportunity for him to slip away and contact the Sun Serpent? When he looked into his friend's eyes, however, all he saw was sincere concern for the sentinels battling on the surface. Could they be wrong about Roktan? What about the evidence that pointed to his involvement in the sabotage? Huantar's mind raced with unanswered questions.

Aloud he said, "Take these with you," pointing to the guards who had accompanied them from the control room. "You will have more need of them than I."

"My lord, I am responsible for your personal safety. In light of what has happened today, allow me to leave at least one guard."

"Very well." Huantar turned away more confused than ever, with Jack, Sam and Teal'c following him into the labs.

* * *

Away from prying eyes, he laughed softly, gloating within himself. Musing on the sudden appearance of these newcomers, he decided that they would not be a factor. In fact, these Tau'ri would serve as a suitable distraction keeping Huantar's attention on the dying Daniel Jackson. Perfect. Everything was almost ready.

* * *

Once they walked through the doorway, Jack could see that the med labs took up a large portion of this part of the base. They were in a large main room, but several interior rooms lay just beyond them. Personnel passed back and forth swiftly. Presumably attending to wounded brought here as a result of the skirmishes above. From the looks of it, things weren't going so good.

From the left, two men turned and approached their small group. The healers were middle-aged men sixty-ish but still blessed with the dark hair of their youth. The men interacted with one another as if they had know each other for a long time, even finishing each other's sentences. They reminded Jack of absent-minded professors, or was that mad scientists?

The men concluded the conversation they had been carrying on between each other as they neared Huantar, looking up open-mouthed, slightly surprised apparently noticing him for the first time. Their expressions were so Daniel-like, O'Neill winced visibly as pangs of regret tore through his heart. Why had he allowed his friend to be separated from them? Searching his team's faces he could see that they were feeling much the same way.

"Colonel O'Neill, these are healers Vonpa and Roncari. They have been caring for Daniel Jackson since the explosion." O'Neill quickly assessed the men and determined that he was right the first time, absent-minded professors, definitely.

"Please follow us….," Vonpa started.

"….we were just going to check on him." Roncari finished.

Sam exchanged glances with Teal'c who raised an inquiring eyebrow. They fell into step behind the healers and Huantar presently entering a smaller chamber.

As soon as they entered, a piercing whine assaulted their ears. It was accompanied by muffled thumps coming from within the sarcophagus itself.

"Something is wrong!" Vonpa and Roncari cried together. Quickly they hurried to the controls followed closely by Sam.

"What is happening!" Huantar demanded as the piercing whine increased by several decibels.

"I do not know, my lord!" Vonpa cried.

"This is impossible, he should not be conscious at all!" Roncari added.

"Oh my God, Daniel!" Sam cried as the clear sound of thumping continued from within the sarcophagus.

"Now wait a minute!" O'Neill yelled one hand over his ear, one hand pointing accusingly at the healers. "You telling me you guys don't know what your own equipment is doing? Get him out of there! Now!"

"Sir, if these readings are correct power is fluxing to the main generator in massive amounts. Its going into overload, Sir!". Her voice almost drowned out by the increasing pitch of the malfunctioning machine.

"Shut it _down_!" Jack cried his eyes flashing with desperation.

The panic-stricken faces of the healers turned toward Jack. "We can't there is no way to open the chamber when its in mid cycle!" Turning from Jack both men desperately started pulling at the door of the sarcophagus.

Teal'c, Sam and Huantar immediately joined them in trying to pry open the container.

Determined to get Daniel out, Jack looked franticly around the room for some sort of tool to aid them. Finding none, he made a decision. Expertly stripping the remaining guard of his energy weapon he aimed it at the sarcophagus.

"O'Neill!"

"Colonel!"

Sam and Teal'c simultaneously cried out trying to stop Jack from firing. He barely heard them over the impossibly shrill whine which he took to mean that the unit would blow soon. He hesitated one more second allowing them all a chance to jump back, then fired the weapon point blank at the sarcophagus.

**Tune in for a new chapter coming soon! **

**Sorry guys for the super long hiatus, but I'm back now! Thank you for continuing to follow my story. Please R&R and let me know what your thoughts are. I'm open to suggestions and constructive feedback. ******


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note: **_

**_I know, I know! Okay, Jack has gone a little wacko shooting at the sarc, but can you blame him? What else is a Special Ops Trained Air Force Colonel to do? _**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but - oh, if only!_**

* * *

_Determined to get Daniel out, Jack looked franticly around the room for some sort of tool to aid them. Finding none, he made a decision. Expertly stripping the remaining guard of his energy weapon he aimed it at the sarcophagus._

"_O'Neill!" _

"_Colonel!"_

_Sam and Teal'c simultaneously cried out trying to stop Jack from firing. He barely heard them over the impossibly shrill whine which he took to mean that the unit would blow soon. He hesitated one more second allowing them all a chance to jump back, then fired the weapon point blank at the sarcophagus. _

* * *

The unrelenting blaring of alarms echoed through the hallways of the Nawata base for the second time that day.And for the second time that day, workers and crew rushed to the affected areas to help. When they arrived at the med labs smoke was pouring out of one of the far recovery rooms. The room that held the sarcophagus and Daniel Jackson.

Taloc found himself running down the corridor, dodging crew members here and there as he raced to the labs. Having just received the report that portions of the med labs were on fire he hurried to ascertain the damage. Suddenly from an intersecting corridor Roktan emerged and the two nearly collided.

Slightly surprised Taloc acknowledged Roktan and asked, "Where is Huantar? I cannot find him and when we last parted he was joining you in the control room."

A grim Roktan replied, "I just heard what happened. I have been at the surface with the sentinels. I left him with a guard until I returned."

"Return to where?" Taloc inquired, although deep down knowing what the answer would be.

"The med labs."

* * *

Jack had been desperate. Steadying the unfamiliar energy weapon in his hand, he had fired the weapon at the sarcophagus.

As soon as the energy bolt struck it, the sarcophagus crackled and glowed with lightning-like fibers of energy all around it. The lights in the room flickered and went out altogether. Emergency lighting came up just a moment later.

"_Oh God, what have I done?_" Jack thought. He hadn't expected what was happening. He had acted out of a need to do something to help his friend. He had dared to hope that by zapping the sarcophagus he could interrupt the overload process and shut it down. Instead it had the opposite effect of somehow energizing the unit even more.

Unexpectedly a blue tendril of energy flicked out like a whip and engulfed the energy weapon he was holding, hurling Jack backwards with tremendous force.

Landing hard he skidding up against the wall with the breath knocked out of him. Feeling like a kid who'd just stuck a gigantic pair of scissors in a light socket, no – make that an electric fence, O'Neill numbly watched the chain reaction.

For what seemed like an eternity, the energy fibers took on a life of their own. Several tendrils were drawn to the electronic equipment in the room. As they touched them, each console overloaded from the resulting feedback. Explosions went off all around them, spraying the room with debris and starting several fires.

Shouts went up from the personnel in the main med lab as they realized what was happening. Several crowded around the door to the chamber trying to decide how to help without being electrocuted.

Crouching on the floor on the other side of the sarcophagus, Teal'c and Sam were also torn between reaching O'Neill and protecting themselves from the debris and the spidery electrical tendrils. They could see that he had pulled himself up into a sitting position with great effort. Sam could feel the hairs raise up on her neck and arms, a reaction to the raw energy in the air.

They all watched in morbid fascination while the sarcophagus blazed with intense energy.

And as quickly as it had begun it was over.

* * *

After several unsuccessful attempts, Jack staggered to his feet taking in the appearance of the charred and smoking sarcophagus.

"Danny-" he whispered reaching out to it. Instantly Teal'c was there preventing him from touching the unit.

"I have to get him out of there, Teal'c" Jack's voice was hoarse and shaky.

"Sir - ," Carter started. When he continued to struggle against Teal'c she reached out and cupping his face in her hands said simply, "Jack."

Looking into his eyes she said, "No one could have survived that," her voice cracking. Stealing a glance at Teal'c, she saw the affirmation in his own sad eyes. "Daniel's gone."

For a moment SG-1 stood transfixed staring at one another, unable to comprehend their loss. As Jack sagged and leaned onto Teal'c for support, Sam relaxed her grip on him. Closing her eyes tight, she tried not to think about what would happen to a human body trapped in a mal-functioning sarcophagus. _"And Daniel had been awake," Sam thought. " Oh, God!"_

The image was unbearable and she quickly opened her eyes, trying to avoid acknowledging the grim scenario playing in her own mind. Peering intently at the Jaffa beside her whose stoic façade was crumbling by the second, a shared look passed between them. _"There's no way we can let the colonel see him."_

Just then, rescue personnel rushed in. Quickly teams set about extinguishing the fires while others pushed them all out of the room and back into the main chamber. After everything it was hard to believe that that whole incident lasted just a few minutes.

Taking a quick look around, Sam could see that the healers who had been in the chamber with them appeared to be ok, just a little shaken up, as they all were. Huantar was already in a deep, and seemingly heated, conversation with his men. One she recognized as Roktan. The other seemed slightly familiar although Sam wasn't able to place him.

Jack's knees buckled abruptly and Teal'c eased him gently to the floor.

"Sir, are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"O'Neill," Teal'c softly called, emotion raw in his voice.

"Teal'c, I think he's suffering a delayed reaction to the jolt he took from the energy feedback." Sam surmised as she quickly checked for other injuries. "And he has a bump on his head from the fall. He may have a concussion." Neither one of them wanted to say what else he was suffering from. It was obvious.

"Over here!" Teal'c bellowed to the workers. "This man is in need of medical attention!"

Jack could hear Sam and Teal'c talking to him, but he didn't respond. The effort was just too much. "_Danny's gone,"_ Jack agonizedshivering uncontrollably_ "and its all my fault."_ This was all he could think of as he slid thankfully into unconsciousness.

At the warrior's call two healers hurried over to assess the Colonel's injuries. Stabilizing him, they made ready to move him to the other side of the facility with the larger man's help.

* * *

He was furious! No, furious didn't even begin to touch the depth of seething anger that he felt on finding out that Huantar was still alive. His death was needed in order to throw the Nawata into confusion and despair, effectively crippling them just before Zalcot's final attack. Outwardly, he appeared calm, even helping in the relief efforts and issuing orders to passing crewmen.

How he and the Tau'ri had survived the planned overload of the sarcophagus was a mystery to him. The blast should have taken out half that level, killing Huantar and his new friends. Yet somehow the Tau'ri had stopped the overload. Now, the other plan would have to be put into motion.

* * *

Sam was getting to her feet as the healers prepared to move Colonel O'Neill when something odd struck her attention. Moving back into the chamber to get a closer look Sam saw Huantar directing his men as they prepared to lift off the lid of the sarcophagus. Stepping forward and placing a hand on Huantar's forearm to get his attention Sam started to speak but was interrupted - by muffled thumping coming from the inside of the sarcophagus!

Unable to speak, Sam stared uncomprehendingly at Huantar. Nodding his head he took her by the shoulders and moving her gently aside as he took his position along side the sarcophagus. On the count of three they all lifted and groaned as the lid detached slowly from the rest of the unit and they were able to get their first look inside.

* * *

The Serpent Sun God, Zalcot, accompanied by two of his servants approached the grand room with no small amount of trepidation. His voice shook slightly as he addressed the man within by name.

Clearing his throat nervously he continued with his report. The saboteur had relayed to Zalcot recent events from Huantar's compound including his failure to ensure that young leader's death.

By extension this immense failure reflected on Zalcot and he feared retribution. Twice now, they had failed to eliminate Huantar. He did not believe he would be given a third opportunity.

A shiver snaked down his spine as he recognized the angry glow of the system lord's eyes. He had been expecting this. The blast from the Jaffa's staff weapon knocked Zalcot off his feet. Staring up as he lay on his back dying, the last thing he saw was an evil smile play across the system lord's lips.

Addressing the two servants, the system lord said, "Go! Give a report back to the people. The Serpent Sun God no longer reigns here. In his place stands a god of immense strength and power. Pledge yourselves to me now, and you will not die. Pledge your loyalty to your god - Ba'al."

**Have I told you lately how much I appreciate getting your reviews? Thank you for the kind words and the great suggestions and feedback, keep 'em comin! **


	9. Chapter 9

_The blast from the Jaffa's staff weapon knocked Zalcot off his feet. Staring up as he lay on his back dying, the last thing he saw was an evil smile play across the system lord's lips._

_Addressing the two servants, the system lord said, "Go! Give a report back to the people. The Serpent Sun God no longer reigns here. In his place stands a god of immense strength and power. Pledge yourselves to me now, and you will not die. Pledge your loyalty to Ba'al."_

* * *

General Hammond strode into the control room and stood impatiently beside Walter Harriman, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Anything?" he asked, already knowing what the answer would be and what it meant.

"No sir. As of 1830 hours we haven't heard from SG-1."

Walter also knew what this meant. In another few hours they would have to lock SG-1's iris code out of the system.

The general sighed. His premier team was now overdue by almost twenty-four hours. Without knowing the situation on the planet he couldn't authorize a rescue mission. When they first tried to contact SG-1 the MALP showed that the area surrounding the gate was simply swarming with Jaffa. Shortly after that the MALP stopped transmitting.

This couldn't have come at a worse time. The SGC was extremely short-handed. Several teams were already off-world besides SG-1.

Two teams were on search and rescue missions assisting their allies. Two teams were engaged in long-term reconnaissance missions of known Goa'uld strongholds. The indigenous people of those planets didn't suspect who they were and to blow their cover now by asking them to come home could ruin weeks of work.

Four teams were needed to help with the humanitarian effort of reviving and relocating the people of Talthus. Eventually, those people might prove to be a useful ally. At the very least it was hoped that they would be willing to share some of their technology with earth in exchange for the aid rendered.

Three teams were still on P3X-403 overseeing and implementing the mining process outlined in the extremely delicate treaty with the people - Unas who lived there. The powers that be decided that the addition of another two teams was prudent now that they were aware of the large number of Unas who actually inhabited the immediate area around the mines. Recalling those teams now would most certainly be too risky.

Hammond hated having his resources spread so thin. Which was why he lobbied hard for the creation of additional SG teams whenever feasible. Budget cuts and condescending bureaucrats who never saw a day's field work made it difficult at best, impossible at worst.

The SGC had taken a lot of casualties during the past year and a half resulting in the blending of several units. Additional teams needed to be formed and trained.

However, the political forces in place seemed to have neither the time nor inclination to approve the recruitment of the best young men and women for the job. Something he intended to rectify by calling in as many markers as he could.

Pulling himself back to the present situation he said, "Notify me once we pass the 24hour mark." It looked like SG-1 would have to find their own way back home. For now.

* * *

Sam elbowed her way in front of the men to get her first glance inside the sarcophagus. Mentally she ran through the list of possible injuries he could have sustained. Not the least being severe burns, smoke inhalation, and electric shock like the colonel. So she was totally unprepared for what she saw.

There was Daniel, eyes wide with fear, struggling to get out of the sarcophagus. But there wasn't a scratch on him. Or a mark, or a burn, or even a singed eyebrow.

"Daniel," Sam whispered. She was stunned beyond belief and found herself dumbly rooted to the spot. Huantar's men brushed past her and quickly but gently removed Daniel from the sarcophagus.

Still weak and more than a little confused Daniel was lifted onto a nearby stretcher that Sam hadn't noticed before. She followed as they moved him into the main medical area. Daniel was alive – without even a scratch on him. How this had happened she could not begin to fathom.

The scientist in Sam knew that anyone inside a sarcophagus was shielded from outside natural forces. Otherwise how else could so many Goa'uld have survived centuries inside the devices.

However, it appeared now that anyone inside of a sarcophagus was also shielded, in some way they had not as yet discovered, from outside _energy_ acting on the it. Perhaps that energy was harnessed by the machine and used in some way to augment this shielding, thereby protecting the occupant.

But even so, she argued with herself, feeding the already overloading machine additional energy from the weapon the Colonel fired was taking an enormous risk. No – by all rights Daniel should be dead. So why wasn't he? For that matter, why weren't they dead? Everything in her experiences was telling her that the machine should have exploded taking them and half the compound with it.

She was drawn from her thoughts as two healers approached and began to check Daniel's vitals. Edging closer to Daniel and staying well out of the way of the healers, Sam took his hand in hers and smiled down at him.

Daniel turned toward her, a bewildered expression on his face.

"S-Sam? Sam! Thank God!"

Unexpected tears welled up in Sam's eyes. "Yeah, it's me, Daniel. How are you feeling?"

He seemed to think about this for a long moment. Furrowing his brow he instead asked, "How did you get here? Where's Jack and Teal'c?"

"The Colonel was hurt trying to free you. Teal'c is with him in the next room. As for how we got here, it's a pretty long story."

"Jack hurt? How?" Daniel's agitated voice rose in panic. He half lifted himself off the gurney before gentle hands pressed him back down.

"Daniel - " Sam's hesitated taking a moment to assess her friend's confused state.

Although he was conscious, Daniel wasn't really focusing on anything. Every time one of the healers touched him he involuntarily jerked away. His eyes darted back and forth with paranoia as if he was waiting for someone to jump out at him.

Sam could feel the tremors running through his body as she held his hand and brushed his hair back from his forehead. _"Looks like post traumatic stress disorder"_ she thought grimly. _"And it's no wonder with all he's been through."_

Forcing a smile she simply said, "He took a little jolt while we were trying to open up the sarcophagus, that's all. But he'll be alright, so don't worry, okay?"

"Okay." Daniel visibly relaxed.

Deciding that Daniel was in a calmer state of mind, Sam decided to fill him in on the details of what had happened to them. Beginning with when they were separated on the planet's surface, Sam swiftly spun the story of how the rest of SG-1 were captured, injured, healed by a sarcophagus, escaped and were captured again, only this time by the Nawata.

"Sam?"

"Yeah, Daniel."

Peering at her with those impossibly blue eyes he gave a little half smile like he often did. "I-I knew you guys would be okay." He was started to fade out a little bit.

"I'm glad … was right…. you're okay. You're… survivor….Sam." He squeezed her hand gently.

Obviously exhausted, he slowly drifted off to sleep. The healers, apparently satisfied with Daniel's condition, had long since moved away to allow their patient to rest.

Staring down at her friend as he slept, Sam felt her cheeks grow hot with shame. It was so like Daniel to think of others before himself. Here he was the one caught in that death trap and almost dying and all he could think about was their safety.

And then it struck her. Of course! All the time that they were separated he had no way of knowing what happened to them. The last time he had seen them they were cut off from the Stargate and trapped between the temple and the advancing Jaffa. He must have been dealing with a good deal of guilt at not being able to help them.

Now it was her turn to feel guilty. Why had she been so quick to believe that Daniel was dead? She knew Teal'c had come to the same conclusion. Still she couldn't shake the thought that she betrayed her friend.

He was helpless, trapped in the sarcophagus hoping, perhaps praying that someone would find a way to free him and do just what the Colonel had done in an effort to save him. Take a chance, see beyond the obvious. She failed miserably.

If Huantar and his men had left the room instead of investigating the machine further could he have suffocated in that thing? Sam felt her knees turn to jelly. Stumbling a little she sat heavily in a chair next to Daniel's bed.

Pulling herself together she reminded herself that she couldn't change the past. However, she was determined that no matter what she would be there for her friend.

"S-Sam?" Daniel whose eyes were still closed, began to stir restlessly.

"I'm right here, Daniel. It's okay." Sam replied as she resumed stroking his hair again. She frowned a little as she realized that he had begun to shiver uncontrollably. Beads of sweat glistened on his skin.

"_What's going on?"_ she thought.

"Daniel? Daniel, what's wrong?" Near panic seized Sam as Daniel began to shiver even more violently. Turning away for a moment Sam called out to the Nawata medical personnel.

"Help! I need help over here! I need h – aaargh!

Sam was jerked around forcibly, her arm twisted up at an excruciating angle. Gasping and blinking at the sudden pain, she was even more astonished to see what the cause was.

"Daniel, w-what are you d-doing?" Even as she strained out the words she knew he wasn't listening her. The man before her holding her arm in a vise-like grip wasn't her normally caring, sweet, sensitive friend. This man barely resembled him. This Daniel looked like a madman.

* * *

Huantar was angry. Taloc approached him soon after the incident in the med lab. He reported that he ran into Roktan on the way there. Roktan said he had been on the surface when the incident occurred.

Taloc was waiting for him to make his decision and he must not show any signs of weakness or favoritism. Turning his back on Taloc, he stared out toward the med labs, undecided.

He found that he was very pleased when they found Daniel Jackson alive and well. He had feared – yes, feared for the man's safety and was beginning to think of him as a friend. Daniel Jackson proved to be both a sincere and thoughtful man. He had saved Huantar's life, and proved helpful in reviving the sentinels. Yes, Huantar admitted to himself, this loss would have been – unacceptable.

The sarcophagus malfunction was meant for him. He was entirely aware of that. If the bomb and shrapnel had injured _him _instead of Daniel Jackson, he would have been the one trapped in the sarcophagus. No doubt the device would have exploded taking a good deal of the compound with it. At his death the Nawata would be thrown into a state of confusion.

Of course, there were others who would be both capable and willing to lead the Nawata through this crisis after his passing. But the damage would have already been done. Making it easier for the Serpent Sun God's men to defeat his sentinels who would still be reeling mentally from the deaths of their leader and comrades.

"Gather your men, Taloc. You will arrest Roktan immediately."

Bowing his head slightly, Taloc began, "My Lord, I will perform the interrogation myself - "

"You will not."

"My Lord?"

"I shall accompany you, and _I _will perform the interrogation." Huantar's tone indicated that there would be no further discussion about this. His eyes flashed with anger as he brushed past Taloc and headed for the control room

"As you say, my Lord." Taloc paused caught off-guard for a moment. Then quickly he rushed to catch up to Huantar, matching his pace as they moved down the corridor.

* * *

Jack woke slowly to the sound of soft buzzing in his ears. His body felt strange, off, numb. It was reminiscent of how one felt when one accidentally struck their funny bone. Only it was his whole body and, oh yeah, it wasn't so very funny after all.

Then he remembered. Realization hit him so suddenly that he gave out an audible gasp. Daniel was gone. He was lost to them after the Kelowna incident. He ascended to another plane of existence. And then they got him back.

Now he was dead again, at Jack's own hand no less. God, it was Charlie all over again. Only this time he was the one who pulled the trigger. It was over and he knew it. He had destroyed his team single-handedly by killing Daniel. How could Carter and Teal'c stand to look at him after this, work with him? How could he live with himself?

"O'Neill." A deep voice rumbled from somewhere to his left.

_Good old Teal'c_, Jack thought. _Always standing guard over one of us._

He knew Teal'c would be able to tell he was awake, but he still didn't answer. He simply kept his eyes closed hoping Teal'c would take the hint that he needed to be alone just now.

"I am aware of your wakefulness."

Jack rolled his eyes behind closed lids, but otherwise did not respond.

Placing a warm, large hand on O'Neill's shoulder, Teal'c waited.

Slowly Jack turned and regarded Teal'c with pain-filled eyes. The grief that shone there was so raw it took the Jaffa aback somewhat.

In his former life as Apophis's first prime, he was trained to cope with the death of friends and brothers. Never letting his emotions interfere with his mission. Never losing his focus long enough to acknowledge the pain. Years among the Tauri had taught him that it was appropriate to show his true feelings. As O'Neill would say, it was only human. Still yet, old habits die hard.

Although he sympathized, to see a warrior of O'Neill's strength brought to this depth of despair and sorrow was still somewhat disturbing to Teal'c. Colonel O'Neill usually chose to hide his true feelings behind sarcasm and wit. Or he would simply withdraw into himself as he did when Daniel Jackson ascended.

The Tauri, Teal'c had learned, thrived on physical contact, O'Neill especially. So squeezing O'Neill's shoulder Teal'c hoped to convey some of his own strength and support to the Colonel. He would need it, in light of what Teal'c was about to reveal.

"Daniel Jackson is alive and in dire need of your assistance."

He added grimly, "As does Major Carter."

Jack O'Neill felt the blood slowly drain from his face.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

_Colonel O'Neill usually chose to hide his true feelings behind sarcasm and wit. Or he would simply withdraw into himself as he did when Daniel Jackson ascended. _

_The Tauri, Teal'c had learned, thrived on physical contact, O'Neill especially. So squeezing O'Neill's shoulder Teal'c hoped to convey some of his own strength and support to the Colonel. He would need it, in light of what Teal'c was about to reveal. _

"_Daniel Jackson is alive and in dire need of your assistance." _

_He added grimly, "As does Major Carter." _

_Jack O'Neill felt the blood slowly drain from his face._

* * *

"Daniel! Daniel please," Sam pleaded. She didn't want to hurt him, but she could see where this was quickly heading. He couldn't be reasoned with.

He had been holding her arm in a painful grip for a while. Now he shifted to a stance behind her, a well-muscled arm tight against her neck. All the commotion had drawn the attention first of the Nawata healers and then Teal'c who had been standing vigil at the Colonel's bedside waiting for him to regain consciousness.

Daniel was displaying the same symptoms he had before only this time much more quickly. Daniel was addicted to the sarcophagus again.

"Don't come any closer, if you wish no harm to come to her!" Daniel barked. Even his voice was different, devoid of any of its usual warmth. Pulling Sam with him he backed further into the room and away from Teal'c and the Nawata.

"Daniel Jackson, I know you do not wish to harm her. Release her. Please."

Daniel stared at Teal'c with undisguised hatred and mistrust. His eyes wildly searched the room as if looking for a means to escape. Absently he squeezed Sam tighter to his chest.

They didn't understand. It was they who were hurting him. Couldn't they see that? He needed it so much. And they just took it away! Took him away from it!

The pain was agonizing. The yearning was almost unbearable. Yet somehow he remained standing gripping onto the woman for dear life. If he tried he could almost remember her and the large, dark man who was talking, but it was too hard to concentrate.

"Take me back to the sarcophagus!" he cried desperately, "Then I'll let her go."

"We cannot do that, my friend," Teal'c answered shaking his head. "The sarcophagus was destroyed by O'Neill while attempting to free you." Teal'c paused. "You have no other alternative. Let us help you. Please."

"No!" came the strangled cry.

Daniel had shut his eyes tightly at the news that the sarcophagus was destroyed. He seemed to remember vaguely something like that. So it _was_ true. What was he going to do now? How could he survive without it?

Teal'c noticed that his friend's respiration had increased somewhat and that he swayed slightly behind Carter relaxing his grip a little. Making eye contact with Carter, Teal'c gave an imperceptible nod.

At her teammate's nod Carter was ready to act. Using a tactic taught in training which Teal'c helped her perfect last year, she turned suddenly against Daniel's grip.

Expertly delivering a sharp punch to the lower ribcage and then a forearm to the jaw, Sam expected Daniel to collapse into an unconscious heap. He didn't even blink.

Instead he lashed out angrily catching her with a glancing blow across the left cheek with his closed right fist. Stumbling backward, Sam slammed hard against the medical equipment next to Daniel's bed and slid to the floor.

Rolling out of the way just in time as Daniel's booted foot whizzed past her head, she came up into a crouched position. While he was still off-balance Sam ran headlong into Daniel planting her right shoulder into his mid-section.

Daniel tried to ward her off and with an angry howl he lashed out with both fists. The impact of Sam's attack sent them both flying over the bed and to the floor below in a tangle of arms and legs.

Suddenly, Sam found herself in an advanced choke hold. The Colonel had taught the maneuver to Daniel some years ago, but he had never really gotten the hang of it. The key reason being that Daniel never really wanted to hurt anyone. Nevertheless, he seemed to have gotten it right now since her vision was graying out and she couldn't breathe.

"No! Stop!" Dimly she was aware of Teal'c yelling from far away just as little sparkly stars danced across her vision and she passed out.

* * *

O'Neill struggled to shake off the last of the lingering effects of the energy feedback as he and Teal'c headed for Daniel and Carter. If he hadn't already been lying down he would have fallen flat on his face when Teal'c told him what happened.

Daniel wasn't dead. Relief virtually flooded through O'Neill's body making him almost giddy. God, how he hoped they would _never_ have to go through that again. Only problem was, Danny wasn't out of danger. As impossible as it seemed, right now he was holding Sam hostage in exchange for the sarcophagus.

A machine which right now was a pile of charred debris waiting for the scrap heap. Teal'c had already told Daniel that. And, oh yeah, apparently Sam had angered Daniel by trying to subdue him and the result wasn't pretty. Teal'c assured the Colonel that Sam was still alive, but unconscious. Daniel wouldn't allow the healers in the room to minister to Sam. Which was why Teal'c had come to see if Jack could do any better at talking the archaeologist into letting Sam go.

Yeah, things were pretty bad. And they were probably going to get a lot uglier.

As they approached the room Huantar, the Nawata leader, stepped forward.

"Colonel O'Neill, it is good to see you doing better."

"Yeah," Jack nodded toward the room. "Anything?"

"We have not been able to convince Daniel Jackson to release his hostage. He refuses to communicate with us." Huantar hesitated for a moment before continuing.

"My men could target him with their weapons on a low setting. It would be just enough to daze him until we can subdue him. However the healers warn that the shock may kill him considering what he's been through recently."

"We owe Daniel Jackson a great debt. We will do our best to see that he comes to no harm." Huantar tried to assure them.

Jack nodded his understanding and after glancing at Teal'c stepped through the doorway.

The archaeologist was sitting in the far corner of the room. His head was on his knees and his back against the wall. Sam was lying prone on the ground close to him. As Jack approached Daniel's head whipped up.

"Don't come any closer," he warned, his voice cold as steel as he rose to his feet.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks. Danger signals buzzed up and down his spine. Teal'c warned him that Daniel was out of control with anger and desperation. Now he was acting the exact opposite.

He moved with a self-confidence Jack rarely saw in Daniel. But it was more than that. It was an air of superiority. The man in front of him wasn't the Daniel he knew. It was the Daniel from Shyla's planet. The one who left them in the naquadah mines for days, starving to death, while he feasted above with Shyla and her father. The one who was self-absorbed, arrogant, haughty. This was a side of his friend that Jack had hoped never to see again.

Noticing Jack's gaze on the unmoving woman, Jackson said, "Your friend should never have tried to resist me." Daniel's eyes narrowed as he studied O'Neill calmly.

Never taking his eyes off Jack, the archaeologist crossed his arms and moved so that his body was between Jack and Sam. Clearly he wasn't going to give her up easily.

"Yeah, well, you don't look so hot yourself." O'Neill sarcastically replied. The other man's face was marred by a large, ugly looking bruise along his jaw line. Apparently Carter had done some damage after all. But the man wasn't showing any sign of being in pain.

"Have you come to negotiate for your friend's life?"

The question startled O'Neill. "Excuse me?" he choked out. The thought of Daniel even implying such a thing was just too much.

"My freedom in exchange for your friend's life. It's as simple as that."

"We can't let you go, Daniel."

"Then she will suffer for your insolence." Jackson snarled taking a menacing step back toward Carter.

"Daniel, this is _Carter_ we're talking about."

"She means nothing to me."

"She's your friend."

"Are you my friend?" Jackson asked almost mockingly, one eyebrow arching up.

"Yeah. Yeah, we are friends. Good friends. We've been through a lot together and we can help you get through this too."

Behind deep blue eyes Daniel's expression softened as he appeared to considered this. "If you were my friend, you would let me go." He supplied in a low plaintive voice.

"Not gonna happen, Danny…."

"I grow tired of you!" Jackson spat out so angrily and so unexpectedly that Jack jumped and the Nawata guards raised their weapons. "Let me speak to the leader of this facility, Huantar!"

Anxiously O'Neill motioned to the guards to lower their weapons. "Okay, okay just take it easy, Danny." They were in deep trouble here. Daniel's symptoms were becoming worse. He was composed, almost serene one moment, highly aggressive the next. If he could just keep the guards from shooting his friend, they all might be able to get out of this thing alive.

As Huantar entered the room Daniel swung toward him a slight smirk on his face.

"I know who the saboteur is."

"I know who is sabotaging the compound, and I will reveal him to you in exchange for my freedom."

"My friend, we cannot let you go. We discussed this before. You know too much about us. If you were to be captured by our enemy you would be putting the lives of every Nawata man, woman and child at risk. I cannot allow this."

"By allowing the saboteur to go free you are putting their lives at risk right now."

"I saw him, Huantar, when he planted the bomb."

"Think back to just after we spoke to each other just outside your chambers. Do you remember picking up that beautiful little box and wondering who left it there for you to find? I can tell you who it was." He paused as if for effect.

"The irony is, if you had arrived just a minute or two earlier you would have seen him. He's one of your own men." Jackson sneered contemptuously.

"Someone close to you. He no doubt passed you in the corridor and laughed as he saw you heading toward your death." The corners of Daniel's lips turned up into a devilish smile as he watched Huantar's reaction to his words, enjoying their effect.

Huantar was astonished by Daniel's revelation. He had not even considered the fact that Daniel Jackson may have seen the traitor. He and Roktan had been too busy trying to save the young man's life in those first moments after the explosion. Roktan. His cousin had been with him in the moments leading up to the attack. Daniel Jackson said that the saboteur was there only a moment or two before he arrived.

If that was true - ! He suddenly and clearly recognized the implications of Daniel's statement. Roktan wasn't the traitor! Then who was?

Without warning a flicker of pain flashed across Daniel's features. Placing a shaky hand to his temple he blinked rapidly to clear his suddenly hazy vision.

"Daniel? You okay?" Ignoring O'Neill and turning his attention to Huantar once again, he said in a low somewhat unsteady voice, "I saved your life, Huantar – you owe me."

A low groan from behind Daniel indicated that Sam might start to awaken. _Thank God_, Jack thought automatically taking another step forward.

"I said, stay back!" Jackson bellowed.

"I just want to see how Sam is? Will you let me do that?"

Daniel's eyes clouded over at the mention of Sam's name and he put his hand out to the wall to steady himself.

"S-Sam?" Daniel whispered almost to himself.

"Yes, she needs my help." Jack worriedly glanced from Sam to Daniel and back again.

The younger man was suddenly drenched in sweat and he had paled considerably. Dropping to his knees beside Sam, Daniel cried out in pain as he clutched both hands to his head.

"Oh, God! Sam!" Daniel was near hysterical as he knelt behind Sam and quickly pulled her to him.

"Jack?" he questioned with wide eyes as if just now noticing that Jack was in the room. "Jack, I killed her, I killed Sam!

"No, you didn't. It's alright. She's gonna be okay. Just let us have a look at her, Danny." It tore him to pieces to see his best friend like this. Daring to come closer he reached out for her.

"No!" Daniel cried and awkwardly scooted himself and Sam back against the far corner.

"I- I remember. She tried to get away and I was choking her. Oh, God!" The young archaeologist was starting to hyperventilate.

"Daniel, listen to me, will ya!" The Colonel cried, scrubbing a hand through his gray hair. "Sam is gonna be fine. You just have to trust me. Now let the healers have a look at her so we can help her!" Jack could see that Sam was starting to regain consciousness.

Daniel's eyes widened slightly as he blinked and he slowly processed Jack's words. _He's still so spaced out_, Jack thought, _I don't know if he understands a word I'm saying._

Just as Daniel appeared to be ready to release Carter he shuddered visibly. Clutching both hands to his head again he folded over in pain. "Oh God, make it stop!"

Rushing to the side of his teammates O'Neill knelt gingerly beside his friends. Carter was groggy, but coming out of it on her own and sitting up. _Good girl!_ he thought absently as he checked her over and she nodded that she was okay. Now Daniel.

As he reached out to comfort his ailing archaeologist, Jack was distracted by a loud uproar just outside the doorway. Huantar heard it too and now that Daniel was subdued, he rushed out of the room to see what was happening. Jack felt that something was familiar about one of the voices, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"How dare you try to arrest me? I am the head of the security contingent here, Taloc!" came Roktan's angry cry.

"In the name of the Nawata Council you will be arrested and restrained for high crimes against the Nawata people _and_ our Lord Huantar." Taloc sneered as he took a step forward and came into Jack's line of vision. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

"Hey!" Jack cried out coming to his feet again. "I know you! You were on the Goa'uld ship!"

Surprised, Roktan stared at O'Neill blankly.

Taloc whirled on O'Neill, first a look of shock and then utter rage playing across his tanned features.

"You're the traitor!" Huantar cried incredulously pointing an accusing finger at Taloc.

Eyes glowing, Taloc spun toward Huantar. "Now that I have been exposed," he said in the echoing voice of the Goa'uld, "There is no longer any use in hiding behind the pathetic guise of being your trusted friend. Surrender now to the Serpent Sun God and your lives will be spared."

"We will never become slaves of the Goa'uld!" Without thinking Huantar acted and catapulted himself at Taloc carrying them well into the main medical chamber.

Recovering from his initial surprise Taloc managed to throw off Huantar and move stagger back a few steps. The light glinted off something metal.

"Look out! There is something in his hand!" O'Neill cried out.

Out of nowhere Teal'c rose up from behind Taloc and wrapped his large arms around the man, wrestling him to the ground. The Nawata guards as well as Jack joined in and quickly disarmed and subdued a very enraged Taloc. Screaming threats and murder all the while, Roktan's men half carried half dragged Taloc from the medical area to the holding cells.

"May I ask what you thought you were doing, My Lord!" Roktan gasped as he tried to regain his breath. "You could have been killed! We can't afford to lose you, cousin." This last was spoken more softly as he clapped a hand to Huantar's shoulder.

As Huantar met the worried gaze of his cousin and head of security he realized that he had been misled into thinking that Roktan was the traitor. For some time now Taloc had been carefully sowing seeds of doubt in him about Roktan. He had been trying to drive a wedge of distrust between them and had nearly succeeded.

Smiling and clasping arms with Roktan, Huantar simply said, "Go. I know you are anxious to question your prisoner." Smiling back Roktan nodded and departed.

"That was …..intense," Jack huffed as he and Teal'c gave each other a once over.

"My Lord!" Twin cries called out. Vonpa and Roncari, the healers whom they met before came hurrying toward them. "Daniel Jackson and the woman are gone!" They exclaimed in unison.

"What! For cryin' out loud! Come on Teal'c let's search the base."

"We will not find him here, O'Neill." Teal'c stated matter-of-factly.

"What, why!"

"Isn't it obvious, O'Neill? He is heading for the second sarcophagus."

O'Neill stared at him blankly.

"When Daniel Jackson took Major Carter hostage, I briefly questioned one of the Nawata healers as to what transpired before he began to act erratically. He reported that while they were examining Daniel Jackson, Major Carter helped calm him by relating to him our capture by their enemy and how we escaped. Undoubtedly, she also reported to him your experience with the sarcophagus on the Goa'uld ship. Therefore, - "

"He's going to try to make her show him how to get to the ship."

* * *

On board the Goa'uld vessel Baal's first prime approached his master cautiously. Depending on what mood he was in his master could be receptive to interruptions or murderously annoyed.

"My Lord!" He finally announced himself, bowing his head respectfully.

"These two were found trying to sneak their way on board past our sentries." Moving aside he revealed two prisoners held by his Jaffa, a man and a woman.

Annoyed at the interruption Ba'al swung around fiercely, but almost immediately his expression changed to mild surprise.

"Excellent." he intoned. "Excellent."

**TBC**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note:** **I've been away for a while (far too long!) but I'm back and moving toward the completion of this story. I didn't mean to leave everyone hanging about what would eventually happen to Daniel and his new sarcophagus addiction. Our favorite archaeologist can't seem to catch a break! **_

_**Thanks so much to Pettygrew for the outstanding beta - Also for diligently re-reading the first 10 Chapters to make sure Chapter 11 made sense. And who kept egging me on with double espressos to stay up late and crank out the next chapter! **_

_**On to Chapter 11!**_

* * *

_On board the Goa'uld vessel Baal's first prime approached his master cautiously. Depending on what mood he was in his master could be receptive to interruptions or murder_ _ously annoyed. _

_"My Lord!" He finally announced himself, bowing his head respectfully. _

_"These two were found trying to sneak their way on board past our sentries." Moving aside he revealed two prisoners held by his Jaffa, a man and a woman._

_Annoyed at the interruption Ba'al swung around fiercely, but almost immediately his expression changed to mild surprise._

_"Excellent." he intoned. "Excellent."_

Jack's head was bowed, his eyes fixed on Daniel's glasses, which he turned over carefully in his hands. Ever since they'd found them at the temple, Jack had held onto them for safe-keeping. Now it looked like Danny didn't need them anymore. Just like before when he was under the influence of that **thing**. How many times had he been in that machine today? Three or Four? In less than 24 hours?

If he succeeded in reaching the other sarcophagus --. Jack was afraid to complete that thought. But he realized he couldn't avoid it forever. If Daniel succeeded in reaching the other sarcophagus and using it, they would most likely lose their Daniel, forever.

There was something about the sarcophagus that affected humans and Goa'uld for that matter, on a basic level with prolonged exposure. Yes, it healed their injuries and illnesses. But it also messed with their sense of morality, literally obliterating it. It corrupted their minds giving them a false sense of grandiose omnipotence. Every so often they would need to renew this effect, injured or not until finally it would become an addiction.

Back on Shyla's planet Daniel said he felt better than he ever had before. He said he felt like he could do anything. It had to be absolutely intoxicating to both the Goa'uld and the host alike.

Daniel had done a lot of things he came to deeply regret as a result of his addiction. For days afterward he had apologized profusely to all of them for what he had done. And for weeks he was withdrawn from the team, keeping to himself mostly and not speaking unless spoken to. Barely eating and sleeping.

He had been through so much Jack decided to give him his space. Lord knows he'd probably had enough of Jack's face while he was going through the withdrawals. There was no way he was going to leave his best friend to go through that alone. So with Hammond's permission, Jack had a bed set up for himself in Daniel's quarters. It had been a rough time for both of them. After the return trip from Shyla's planet Daniel began to draw away from them.

Jack had been this close to taking Frasier aside to discuss treatments for depression when Daniel seemed to start pulling himself together. Everyone including Hammond had been relieved when Daniel began acting like his old self again. All of a sudden, O'Neill understood something else with startling clarity.

That phrase the Goa'uld threw around so carelessly. _Nothing of the host survives_.

With each exposure to the sarcophagus by the Goa'uld parasite, the host mind would also be affected by the power of the machine. With the host's morality slowly being eroded away they would fight less and less. Until eventually their identity would be swallowed up by the Goa'uld's far stronger maniacal personality and goals.

The host would more or less willingly go along with whatever the Goa'uld wanted so long as he got a taste of the sarcophagus every now and again. The thought made him sick to his stomach and he felt it lurch in revulsion.

"O'Neill, are you alright?" Teal'c asked, openly concerned for his friend.

"I'm okay." Jack answered, quickly swallowing back his repulsing thoughts. Whatever it took, they weren't going to let that happen to Danny.

"Let's go get our people."

* * *

Daniel and Sam had been dragged from before Ba'al and roughly thrown into a cell together when neither one of them would supply answers to his questions.

Daniel didn't utter a sound during the questioning. He just kept his head down, eyes trained on the ground in front of him, but Sam could see him trembling if ever so slightly, and it was getting worse. His face was flushed and small beads of perspiration began forming along his forehead. Sam wasn't even sure if he was aware of what was going on.

Following Daniel's lead Sam refused to speak as well. Ba'al for his part maintained an air of amusement. And no wonder, Sam thought. All he has to do is wait, and the Colonel and Teal'c will probably show up looking for us. He was going to use them as bait.

* * *

O'Neill and Teal'c warily made their way through the corridors of the Serpent Sun God's ship. They had taken out the guards at the rings and managed to get on board without being seen.

Any minute now Jack expected to hear alarms because of the missing guards. But they had been exploring the lower levels of the ship without any interference for about an hour now. It hadn't been as hard as Jack thought. If anything, it had been a little too easy.

"T?"

"I concur, O'Neill."

"I didn't say anything yet."

"You believe that we are strolling into a snare."

O'Neill blinked. "Uh, it's _walking_ into a _trap_."

"Is that not what I have just said?"

O'Neill paused for a moment and said, "Indeed."

It was the Jaffa's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"And yes," the Colonel continued, "I do think we're walking into a trap."

"We have no choice if we are to stop Daniel Jackson and Major Carter from reaching the sarcophagus."

"I know."

The two men continued on in silence meticulously checking each corridor and each room. Cautiously they rounded the next corridor, O'Neill taking the lead. Abruptly an arm from a hidden alcove hooked O'Neill's neck and chest as he passed by, dragging him backward into the darkness.

Kicking and struggling, O'Neill struck out against his attacker.

Teal'c immediately rushed forward, pulling the struggling O'Neill away from the strong figure and made ready to stun the attacker. And then they both froze.

O'Neill broke out of his stunned surprise enough to choke out one word.

"Jacob!?"

* * *

Daniel was confused. The woman was talking to him again, her words sounding distorted and unintelligible. Her voice was growing louder now and more insistent. He pressed his hands against his head trying to block her voice out and ward off the beginnings of a massive headache.

He regarded her momentarily, uncomprehendingly, and then shut his eyes tight against the pain in his skull. The pain kept growing and it wouldn't go away. Nothing could make it go away, except the sarcophagus. He knew there was one here. There had to be.

Deep down he knew that he shouldn't go near it. He knew that it was supposed to repulse him. But he couldn't help himself. It was such a raw need that he dare not ignore it. He felt that if he didn't get to the sarcophagus soon, he would die.

"Daniel? Daniel? Can you hear me?" Sam was trying to get through to her friend but it wasn't working. He didn't utter a word. He stared at her in such a plaintive way it made her heart ache. Then he simply turned away from her and curled up into a little ball in the corner of the cell, knees drawn up to his chest, rubbing tiredly at his temples.

Sighing, Carter took up a similar position close to Daniel but not too close. She didn't want to appear threatening in any way. Not after what happened at the med center. Anyway, it seemed all they could do now was wait.

As she rested near Daniel, Sam's thoughts turned inward to a time when her friend was addicted to the sarcophagus on Shyla's planet. At the time, they had only known each other a short while. But they had become fast friends who enjoyed spending time together.

Once he became addicted, however, he behaved like a completely different person. He had been so cold to her that day in her lab. She remembered it like it was yesterday. The words he so carelessly flung at her had really hurt, worse than she let on. She could still after all these years feel their sting.

Afterward, Daniel had been so remorseful, always apologizing. Then he quickly became withdrawn, spending much of his time on base alone with his research. He had to be coaxed into spending any time at all with them outside of offworld missions. Sam thought he wasn't sleeping well because dark circles were beginning to form underneath his eyes.

One day, she invited him over for dinner making him believe that she needed him to translate some old letters she found that belonged to her Swedish great-grandparents. She felt guilty for the deception but it was worth it just to get him away from the SGC.

"_Daniel, I know you've been avoiding the team, lately,"_ _she'd finally gotten up the courage to say. "But you don't have to. We're your friends. We just want to help you if you'd let us."_

_She could literally see the blood drain from his face. Oh, no, she thought, I hope he doesn't bolt! _

_Putting the letters down on the coffee table and turning away from her to gaze intently at the floor, Daniel spoke very softly, "Sam, you can't begin to know how ashamed I feel. How can any of you stand to look at me and work with me after I let you all suffer down in those mines? I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror every day. _

"_Daniel, how can you say that" Sam countered, instinctively reaching out to touch his arm. _

"_Sam, I know I messed up, big time. Back there on P3R - 636, I really did think that I was handling things and that I was in control. And through it all, I can't remember ever once thinking about how my actions were affecting the team. Not even once. You all were rotting away in that mine along with the other slaves and where was I? Enjoying myself at the palace with Shyla. What kind of person does that make me?"_

"_It wasn't you. You were drugged and deliberately misled into thinking that you were helping us. Shyla took advantage of you and that wasn't your fault." Seeing that he didn't quite believe her, Sam pressed on. _

"_She knew exactly what the sarcophagus was doing to you and she kept putting you in it anyway! If there's anyone to blame, it's her!" Sam said firmly. "Please don't blame yourself. We don't." _

_At this Daniel did turn toward her, but still not directly looking her in the eye. _

"_Do you think that Share will forgive me, for betraying her?" So that had been weighing on his mind, too. He felt that he had betrayed his missing wife. _

"_Daniel," Sam reached over to squeeze his hand, "I know she will." _

_Silent tears brimmed over in his eyes. "Oh, Daniel!" Sam reached over and put her arms around him and held him while he cried. After a few moments, Daniel drew back, swiping at his eyes with the back of a hand. "You, uh, you didn't need any help translating those letters from your great-grandparents, did you?" he asked, giving her a nervous little half smile. _

"_Are you kidding?" Sam smiled back, "I've known how to read and write Svenska since I was three." _

"_Really?" Daniel raised both eyebrows at this. "You know, Svenska is a derivative of Old Norse, the common language of the Germanic peoples living in Scandinavia during the Viking Era…"_

_They continued like that late into the night, just talking. Eventually, the conversation circled back around to the naquadah on Shyla's planet and the sarcophagus. But this time Daniel was ready to talk and he seemed to work some things out as he opened up more about incident. As Daniel talked, Sam smiled to herself. Everything was going to be alright. And in the days following he seemed to be on the road to being his old self again. _

His old self. Sam thought about that for a moment. Daniel seemed like an entirely different person when he was under the influence of the sarcophagus both the first time and today. But this time something was different. She just couldn't seem to put her finger on what it was.

"Oh my God!" she suddenly exclaimed. All at once it was very clear to her what could be causing the sarcophagus to mal-function. She moved closer to Daniel and checked that he was ok. He was sleeping, occasionally mumbling something unintelligible.

"_I hope I'm wrong,"_ she thought to herself, _"but if I'm right, we could all be sitting on a ticking time bomb." _

* * *

"Take it easy Jack!" Jacob cried, rubbing his jaw where a nice bruise was beginning to form.

"What are you doing here!?" Jack countered unapologetically, adrenaline still pumping hard.

"Selmac and I have been on a covert mission for the past several weeks trying to obtain information about a new system lord, the Sun Serpent. He has been wrecking havoc throughout this part of the galaxy for some time now gathering slaves for himself. The information we obtained led us here and I was able to pass myself off as an interested ally. However, Ba'al arrived recently and had him executed. Apparently he was acting in Ba'al's interests and things got bad between them."

"Ba'al?" Jack was still trying to catch up.

"Yes, Jack. We were about to get out of dodge when we heard about the recent escaped Tauri prisoners and the subsequent capture of two more."

"Daniel and Carter."

"You're walking into a trap, Jack. They want you to find them. How do you think you got this far?"

"I'm not gonna leave my people behind!"

"How do you think I feel? That's my daughter he's holding prisoner doing God knows what to!"

"I know! I know exactly what he's going to do to them. Which makes it even more important that we find them before-" he paused, suddenly out of breath. He was going to say _"Before he kills them over and over again."_ Instead he said, "Before he does to them what he did to me."

Jack's head was lowered and he was trying to get a handle on his breathing, but he wasn't having much success. Then he felt Teal'c's strong hand clasp his shoulder.

Jacob's hand clasped his other shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jack. I wasn't thinking."

"Look. I want Daniel and Sam back as much as you do but we can't just rush in there half-cocked. We need to think this through and come up with a plan."

Jack took another deep breath and glanced at Teal'c then Jacob. "Okay. I'm listening."

* * *

At last, Jackson stirred. A quick glance toward the woman showed that she was fast asleep. The lull in activity outside their cell seemed to indicate that those onboard were also engaging in rest or meditation at this time. Now was a good time for him to make his move.

Slowly rising from the floor he approached the door's control panel. Pulling off the cover with one fluid motion, he reached inside. Heedless of the glowing power crystals inside the panel, he thrust his fist to the back of the encasement, shattering them. Crackling electrical energy briefly surrounded Daniel's body, yet he did not fall. The door slid silently aside.

Turning, he headed out the door and swiftly moved down the corridor to begin his desperate search for the sarcophagus.

A few seconds later a blonde head peaked out the doorway. Making sure not to be heard, Sam carefully crept down the corridor in pursuit of Daniel.

* * *

"So we're agreed," Jacob concluded their impromptu meeting. "The best thing to do is to head for Ba'al's sarcophagus. Given Daniel's addiction, he will find his own way there, or Ba'al will use the addiction to his own advantage, using the sarcophagus as a means to control Daniel. Either way, our best chance is to get there before one of them does."

"We must endeavor at all costs to arrive before Daniel Jackson does, Jacob Carter." Teal'c said grimly. "If he attempts to use the sarcophagus again I fear we may be powerless to help him overcome its effects."

"I know, Teal'c." Jacob nodded. "Given Daniel's history with the machine, he won't be able to fight the effects of the machine on his mind for long. He will be more or less dependent on it just to function and he will be just where Ba'al wants him. Ba'al has a bargaining chip to use against us. Sam. And he has one to use against Daniel. The sarcophagus. Either way he wins."

"Not if I can help it." said O'Neill, grim determination written on his face. "I'm getting them back."

"Don't worry, Jack, we'll find them." Jacob promised bowing his head.

When he raised his head again it was Selmac who spoke. "Jacob and I have been here long enough to learn the lay out of the ship quite well. It is this way."

Together the three moved silently down the hallway; each one alone with their own disquieting thoughts about the fates of Sam and Daniel.

* * *

At the control center of the ship, Ba'al's first prime was attending to his duties. The day had gone well, with the smooth assimilation of the Serpent Sun God's men into his own command. Also the capture of the two Tauri pleased his master well. In the morning, they would again begin the interrogation of the man and woman. Soon, it would be time to accompany his master to the sarcophagus as was his evening custom. The sarcophagus here on the Serpent Sun God's ship would do nicely.

"Attend me, Berkta!" A sharp command from Ba'al prompted him from his musings.

Obediently, he followed Ba'al down the darkened corridor to the sarcophagus room. There he would wait for his master the full cycle of the machine which would not end for several hours. The day had been so full that Berkta himself had not had a chance to meditate. No matter. Once Ba'al was ensconced in the chamber he would quietly Kel-no-reem nearby. No one needed to know. Quickly, he moved to keep up with his master as they moved swiftly down the corridor toward the sarcophagus.

* * *

**Additional Author's Note: If you've been following this story and reviewing, THANK YOU! I'm sorry to keep you guys hanging so long. But, Chapter 12 is well on its way to posting so you won't have to wait as long between chapters this time. Please send a review and let me know how I'm doing! I look forward to hearing from everybody! **


	12. Chapter 12

"_Don't worry, Jack, we'll find them." Jacob promised bowing his head. _

_When he raised his head again it was Selmac who spoke. "Jacob and I have been here long enough to learn the lay out of the ship quite well. It is this way."_

_Together the three moved silently down the hallway; each one alone with their own disquieting thoughts about the fates of Sam and Daniel._

* * *

As Jack crept along behind Jacob and Teal'c, he began mentally cataloging the layout of the ship. He did this automatically. It came second nature to him now, ever since his black ops days. Although many years had passed since his first covert mission, the intense special training stuck and had been useful, especially in their fight against the Goa'uld.

This made him think about his most recent undercover mission. He'd so easily slipped back into his old behavior, it scared him. But, in the end he had done his job well and a commendation was noted in his file from the President.

The trouble was, he'd done so good of a job that he'd managed to alienate his entire team and half of the SGC. Even though he apologized to his teammates, it was a long while before he sensed Carter and Teal'c's complete trust in him again.

His relationship with Daniel, however, had never fully recovered. Sure, Daniel said he understood and congratulated Jack on the success of the mission. But, things weren't the same and they drifted apart. Then Daniel had died and Jack regretted never taking advantage of the time he had to straighten things out and to let Daniel know how much his friendship meant to him.

After Daniel returned, things were different, better. Jack had made sure of that. Daniel still hadn't regained all of his memories, but Jack had gotten to the point where he could tell from the expression on Daniel's face when he was remembering something.

Sometimes the look was pleasant. Sometime it wasn't. For Daniel, he wasn't simply remembering an event, he was re-living it. Occasionally, he would black out when this happened, which Frasier said might happen. Still, the first time he did it he gave them all quite a scare.

They had just returned from P98-244, New Ardenia. They put in a tough week helping SG's-8 and 9 resettle the people of Talthus on their new found homeworld. Daniel, in particular, worked very hard to help the people preserve their historical records during the relocation and it was showing.

Dark shadows colored the skin just below his eyes and Jack knew he was exhausted, but this was important to him. So he let him keep at it. Now that they were back home, he intended to make sure Daniel got at least one good night's sleep.

Later before the debriefing with Hammond, Daniel was standing at the projector getting ready for his presentation to the general, his back to the door. Jack and Teal'c had walked in already discussing the new guidelines for using the planet's stargate initiated by Teal'c . He had ruffled not a few of the monarch's feathers when he told them they would have to limit gate travel to the few planets known by the SGC at Goa'uld free.

"You did the right thing, Teal'c. Don't beat yourself up over it." Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Jack saw Daniel's back stiffen and a few seconds later he fell head first into the media equipment.

That had been downright heart-stopping. The conversation between himself and Teal'c triggered a memory for Daniel. He had been jolted by the memory of Sha're's death. Even though he'd known she was dead, up to that point he hadn't recalled any of the exact details. Jack hoped he never would. So much for wishful thinking.

Daniel didn't regain consciousness for nearly a day. And when he awoke he was very disoriented and quickly fell back into a deep slumber. Frasier said there was no concussion from the fall, but they were dealing with something completely out of the realm of anything she had ever had to deal with before.

Daniel's memory had been erased by the Ancients. But clearly Oma Desala wanted him to regain all of it back except, of course, the time he spent as an ascended being. There was no way they could predict if, when, or to what degree those memories would return. They also could not predict how Daniel would react to the shock of some of those memories.

The doctor kept him for three days of observation just in case there were further blackouts. Once he was released, he would not be allowed to drive or be alone for long periods of time until she was satisfied that he had recovered.

On the day of Daniel's release, Jack was preparing to spend a few nights at Daniel's when SG-8 dialed in needing further assistance with the Talthian situation to settle a new dispute between the monarchs and the common people. Since Daniel wasn't cleared for gate travel yet, Jack went and Janet insisted Daniel stay on base.

When Jack returned four days later, Daniel was better. He had suffered two subsequent blackouts, one in his office and another in the infirmary while Janet was conducting a follow up exam. But each was significantly shorter in duration than the first one, lasting less than an hour.

A couple of weeks later, when no further blackouts occurred, he was cleared for gate travel and things were back to normal. Daniel had even regained a good portion of his memory as a result. If he was having any trouble coping, he hadn't said anything to Jack.

Jack pondered that thought for a few moments. Come to think of it, they hadn't been spending a lot of time together lately. He would be sure to remedy that as soon as they got back home.

* * *

Sam couldn't believe what she'd just seen Daniel do. He'd yanked off the control panel to the door mechanism like it was cardboard. When he'd slammed his fist into the crystals, the resulting electrical discharge should have killed him. But he barely reacted.

Sam knew where he was heading, but she had no idea where the sarcophagus was kept on this ship. She had been unconscious when she was initially placed inside it, and apparently also when she was removed because she didn't recall a thing until she woke up in their prison cell.

She'd already worked out that something was terribly wrong with the device. It only partially healed the colonel and herself. Yet, as she crept softly after Daniel down the dark corridor, she could think of no way to stop him from using it.

* * *

As Ba'al sauntered down the passageway toward the sarcophagus smiling to himself as he thought of how easy it had been to destroy the Serpent Sun God. And soon, he would have all of SG-1.

Even now he knew that O'Neill and the sholva would be close by if not already, on board the ship. The Tau'ri were so predictable. They would try to rescue their teammates but they would be unsuccessful. He frowned slightly at the thought of the two members of SG-1 which he held prisoner.

The woman, Major Carter, appeared normal. But there was something not right about Daniel Jackson. He'd been unresponsive while Ba'al questioned them, even when threatened by the pain-stick and the ribbon-device. He saw some fear but mostly defiance in the woman's eyes, but Jackson remained impassive and Ba'al questioned whether he was truly aware of his surroundings or anyone else.

It didn't matter. They were simply bait. Soon he would have O'Neill back in his grasp and he did so enjoy tormenting O'Neill. His wicked smile back in place, Ba'al turned down the next corridor toward the sarcophagus.

* * *

Sam was running out of time. Any minute now Daniel would find the sarcophagus and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

Slowly peering around the corner, Sam watched Daniel stop in front of a room that was evidently locked. She watched as he again ripped through the door panel with little effort. In no way would he have been able to do that if he was – himself. But instead of going through the doorway he simply stared inside for a long moment, as if he was pondering his next move.

Sam stared at him from her hiding place. Were his hands shaking? A closer look revealed that not only were they shaking, they were bleeding. And he appeared to be in some pain. This may be the only chance she had to reach him.

Taking advantage of the opportunity and throwing caution to the wind, Sam stepped forward, hands spread out so that Daniel could see she was carrying no weapon.

"Daniel?"

He jumped, apparently unaware that she had been following him.

Daniel stared at her with an odd expression, but otherwise did not move either toward her or closer to the doorway.

"Daniel, I know you're going for the sarcophagus. Believe me, you don't know what that thing will do to you, what it has done to you. Listen to me, they put me and the Colonel in the sarcophagus. It didn't work. It healed the majority of our injuries but our own bodies had to complete the healing process on their own."

Daniel blinked at Sam. For a moment, he looked like the old Daniel. Could he be coming to his senses now, realizing what was happening? Pressing her advantage Sam continued.

"Something about this device is different from other Goa'uld technology we've encountered. There could be a flaw in the power source. Whatever it is, it's dangerous. Please, don't do this. Let us help you back at the SGC."

Within Daniel's mind an inner battle was taking place. On the one hand, he was horrified at the lengths to which he had gone to get a fix from the sarcophagus. In a way he felt detached, like he was watching a stranger do these things from some far away place.

He had put Sam in danger by bringing her here as his hostage. Something he never should have, no, never would have considered doing in his right mind. Which meant that he wasn't really in his right mind, was he? But he knew that already, he just hadn't admitted it to himself until now.

On the other hand, he desperately needed it. It was a terrible, hungering obsession that he wasn't strong enough to resist. By now the need was as basic as his need for air to breathe. He knew that the only way to overcome it and stop the pain, was to give in to it. He was so tired of the pain. For a while, after he had been freed from the sarcophagus in Huantar's medical lab, the pain had stopped.

He was free for the first time in a long while of the nightmares and disturbing thoughts that had begun plaguing him when he first started regaining his memories after his return to human form. They had started when he remembered Sha're's death and had become increasingly more frequent as he recalled more events from his past.

If he didn't keep himself busy working on his translations and participating in off-world missions, he found that his mind would often transport him back to the many times in his life when he'd miserably failed someone he cared about. He often thought about his inability to help first his parents and then later Sha're, and Sarah. Added to that was his dismal failure to save Skaara, Kasuf and the entire population of Abydos from Anubis. He had thought he could do more as an ascended being. He had been wrong.

He hadn't shared these dark feelings with any of his teammates. How he had ever been able to cope with all that pain before he ascended, he didn't know. Perhaps that was the reason he chose ascension, to finally end his own deep personal suffering.

"The Daniel I know is still in there somewhere." Sam continued. "Come back to us, please. We can help you. You won't be alone, Daniel. You can get through this."

At her words, unbidden images flashed through Daniel's mind taking him back to another time and another sarcophagus. During that time he had failed his team miserably and Jack had almost died by Daniel's own hand.

Daniel closed his eyes tight against the painful memories that had been dredged up by Sam's words.

He never saw Ba'al emerge at the end of the long corridor behind Sam. And he never saw Ba'al's first prime raise his staff weapon and point it at Sam's back.


End file.
